The Heinz Endowments has announced $6 million for the second phase of a special fund aimed at assisting local nonprofit organizations facing challenges due to federal funding and policy changes. This past March, the Endowments distributed $4 million through its Community Partners Fund to help alleviate the impact of federal actions on some of our region’s nonprofits; these additional monies will bring our total support of the fund to $10 million.
“We know that our nonprofit partners are resilient and resourceful and doing their best under trying circumstances,” Endowments President Chris DeCardy said. “There remains both uncertainty and anxiety around directives, funding cuts and budget proposals at the federal level. This fund is one key way we can stand with our vital nonprofit community leaders to help them stabilize and move forward with critical programming.”
While only current and past Endowments grantees can apply for support through the Community Partners Fund, those organizations can partner with nonprofits who have not previously been grantees. Uses for current funds from the Community Partners Fund can include capacity building, technical assistance, legal needs, physical or data security needs, education and advocacy, communications and outreach, organizational change management or scenario planning, and risk analysis.
Criteria for funding includes:
Urgency: Funds address an immediate need and/or take advantage of a time-sensitive opportunity.
Impact: Funding will serve a large number of people and/or has far-reaching or long-lasting implications related to changes in policies, systems or services.
Severity: Funding will help mitigate an extreme harm or potential harm.
Innovative Collaboration: Funding will assist three or more nonprofit organizations and/or governmental entities working in collaboration to find creative ways to address service delivery gaps created by grant terminations or changes to/eliminations of federal programs, policies or regulations; launch advocacy campaigns designed to protect vulnerable populations or critical programs, policies or regulations; or explore a merger that would bring operational and financial efficiencies.
For more information follow this link.
