Four local nonprofits are among 119 receiving grants in the second phase of COVID-19 relief funding from the Arkansas Community Foundation. The grants are to help organizations statewide adapt to new and increased demands of the pandemic.These grants of up to $25,000 totaled $1.9 million made to Arkansas nonprofits. When added to the 678 $1,000 Phase 1 mini-grants made to organizations in 67 counties in April and May, more than $2.6 million have been awarded from the foundation’s COVID-19 Relief Fund in the 11 weeks since it was created.
In the latest round of funding, awards were made locally to the Baxter County Library Foundation for safety and sanitizing equipment and supplies; the Food Bank of North Central Arkansas to purchase a management system and equipment; the North Central Arkansas Chamber Foundation of Mountain Home to provide direct assistance with financial needs of small business owners; and to the Yellville-Summit School District to provide mobile hot spots for families without internet access.
“These Phase 2 Adaptation Grants help organizations who are adapting their operations to meet the ongoing needs of Arkansans affected by the pandemic and shore up critical systems like healthcare, education and food distribution,” says Heather Larkin, president and CEO of the Community Foundation.
Grant recipients for Phase 2 were selected by a committee of reviewers based on criteria designed to determine the best use of COVID-19 Relief Fund assets. A list of the organizations receiving grants is available at www.arcf.org/covid19.
More than $3.4 million has been donated to the COVID-19 Relief Fund from the Community Foundation, other Arkansas foundations, businesses and individuals. A list of donors to the fund is available at www.arcf.org/covid19. The Foundation is determining the criteria for additional rounds of grants to be awarded later in the year.
“It was astounding to see the depth and breadth of need for operational change caused by COVID-19 described in these grant proposals,” Larkin says. “For example, one grant will allow a city to purchase supplies and provide training for local businesses to help them re-open in compliance with COVID-19 regulations. Another will help a nonprofit healthcare clinic modify its patient intake areas to allow for better social distancing.”
Priority for the Phase 2 adaptation grants was given to organizations addressing the following services:
• Adapt their operations to meet new needs in the community that have arisen from the pandemic or
• Deliver services in new ways to accommodate social distancing and other health and safety guidelines or
• Serve an expanded client base, i.e. reaching individuals who are experiencing new economic hardships due to the pandemic.
Uses of this funding also include:
• Modifying or upgrading technology systems to serve clients remotely.
• Modifying facilities to enable greater social distancing among essential personnel and clients.
• Implementing changes to operating procedures necessitated by COVID-19.
• Scaling up service delivery to support increased demand.
The COVID-19 Relief Fund was created March 18. Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced the Community Foundation’s fund as a way for Arkansans to best help those in need during the pandemic. In addition, the Arkansas Republican and Democratic Parties jointly requested donations to the fund.
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