Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund announces Phase III effort on the heels of final round of grantmaking for Phase II

Release Date: 10.18.2021

CLEVELAND – The Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund announced today that it has launched the Funders Collaborative on COVID Recovery (FCCR) to spearhead its Phase III efforts. Additionally, the Fund partners revealed the 18th – and final – cycle of grants as part of its Phase II efforts to support the Greater Cleveland nonprofit community during the ongoing pandemic. In total, $283,290 was granted to 10 organizations and groups serving Cuyahoga, Lake and Geauga counties.

Building on the work of Phases I and II, Fund partners will shift their focus from rapid response grantmaking to long-term COVID recovery in Phase III. FCCR is a partnership spanning nearly 50 foundations, nonprofits and governments focused on a multi-year approach to helping the region recover from the COVID-19 pandemic and come back stronger.

As Greater Cleveland begins to define its path toward equitable recovery and resiliency for its residents, FCCR will apply learnings from Phases I and II to inform its work (view the full 18-month report at ClevelandFoundation.org/COVIDRecovery). Initially, the Fund will use its resources to:

  1. Increase vaccine access and uptake
  2. Address homelessness
  3. Advocate for long-term policy change that promotes economic well-being and equity
  4. Support grassroots advocacy efforts
  5. Build resilience in the nonprofit community

“As our community continues to battle COVID-19 and its aftermath, the Funders Collaborative on COVID Recovery will be a critical and ever-evolving collaborative response,” said Dale Anglin, Cleveland Foundation vice president for program. “It is only through partnerships with foundations, individual donors, the corporate sector, government and nonprofits that the Rapid Response Fund was able to have such a meaningful impact on Greater Cleveland. We will use this collaborative model to tackle other complex issues facing our region.”

The latest round of grant recipients includes:

  • The Beautiful Cycle ($5,000): To support education materials, sanitary hygiene supplies, pads, and equipment distribution for female children disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Bikur Cholim ($35,690): To support several hundred people in the Greater Cleveland Jewish community by providing culturally competent patient advocacy to help with emerging needs and service navigation as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Burten, Bell, Carr Development, Inc. ($60,000): To utilize WOVU 95.9 FM to raise awareness of long-haul COVID survivors and their families in the African American community, help connect individuals experiencing long-haul COVID issues and families who have experienced death from COVID with counseling and/or group support, and increase awareness of the suffering caused by long-haul COVID to help overcome vaccine hesitancy
  • Collaboration Station ($48,600): To support staff, menu development, and food preparation to provide food security to 275 clients with medically tailored dietary needs that are emerging throughout the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Forbes House ($10,000): To support the purchase of bed sheets, blankets, towels, washcloths, and cleaning supplies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 among survivors of abuse living in their shelters
  • Health Policy Institute of Ohio (HPIO) (up to $25,000): To conduct best practices research on vaccination efforts, trust-building and engagement as well as strategies to reduce disparities in vaccination rates
  • Juvenile Justice Center ($2,000): To provide incentives for youth detained at the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Detention Center to receive the COVID-19 vaccine so both youth and staff have greater protection against the coronavirus
  • Neighborhood Connections ($80,000): To support the continuation of Neighbor Up Action Grants related to COVID-19 as well as the storage and distribution of personal protective equipment (PPE) and hygiene supplies
  • Sincere Hands LLC ($12,000): To provide basic needs and food items to 2,400 Greater Cleveland residents for the next year
  • Starting Point ($5,000): To support professional deep cleaning for employees’ safe return to work

Contributions to the second phase of the Greater Cleveland COVID-19 Rapid Response Fund totaled nearly $11.2 million, including a new gift from PNC. All told, the Fund has raised more than $20.1 million since its inception in March 2020, granting nearly $19 million during that period. Funding partners urge other foundations, corporate entities, individuals, and organizations to contribute to the Fund. Donations of any amount are welcomed, and all contributions are tax deductible.

For more information about future plans for the Funders Collaborative on COVID Recovery or to donate, visit ClevelandFoundation.org/COVIDRecovery.

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