Whidbey Community Foundation awarded its third round of grants from the COVID-19 Community Resilience Fund. To date, WCF has awarded nearly $80,000 to 18 organizations from the COVID-19 Fund.
Grantees of the Fund serve all parts of Whidbey Island, and support our most vulnerable populations affected by the pandemic. The third round of grants were awarded to Whidbey Homeless Coalition, I Support the Girls – Whidbey Island, Northwest Agriculture Business Center (for Whidbey Island Grown), and South Whidbey Commons. Grant dollars will be used toward a variety of needs, including additional services for those experiencing homelessness, distribution of menstrual products for girls and women experiencing homelessness, an online marketplace to create an Island Food Hub program to aggregate and provide food to safe locations, and a free soup kitchen program. A full list of COVID-19 Fund grantees can be found here.
The COVID-19 Community Resilience Fund was launched by WCF in March, with $25,000 seed funding designated by its Board of Directors. Through the generosity and support of the Island community and beyond, WCF has raised over $180,000 for this Fund.
WCF anticipates awarding several rounds of grants from the COVID-19 Community Resilience Fund. This initial phase prioritizes grants to community-based organizations that are serving those who are immediately and disproportionately suffering from this crisis. The immediate focus areas include, but are not limited to: food insecurity, economic insecurity, housing insecurity, access to health care and prescription medications, costs related to mitigating virus transmissions, access to transportation, and access to childcare.
As we enter the next phase of reopening our community, we know that many of the nonprofits on Whidbey have critical needs due to the impacts of COVID-19. WCF will hold a 1-hour Zoom meeting on Monday, May 18 from 10-11am. We want to hear from Whidbey nonprofits about your immediate and long-term needs, and how the Whidbey Community Foundation can best support and connect you with the resources you need to sustain your mission-based work. To RSVP, please visit: https://bit.ly/wcfcovid19zoom
In addition to the COVID-19 Community Resilience Fund, WCF has begun a list of resources for nonprofits impacted by coronavirus which will be regularly updated.
Whidbey Community Foundation was formed in 2016 to improve the quality of life on Whidbey Island by providing support for the nonprofit sector, assisting donors to build and preserve enduring assets for charitable purposes, and meeting community needs through financial awards.
If you have questions, contact WCF at info@whidbeyfoundation.org or call at 360-660-5041.