Twenty-three nonprofits serving South Jersey are receiving grants aimed at helping these critical organizations weather the devastation caused by COVID-19 and serve families across the region. The Community Foundation of South Jersey (CFSJ) today announced its first round of grantees since launching the COVID-19 Response Fund in late March.
The grants total $100,000 for nonprofits serving: Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Ocean, and Salem Counties. These grants address only the first 15 percent of requests received by the Community Foundation to date. Additional rounds will be announced in the coming days and weeks.
“This pandemic is devastating South Jersey communities, with the brunt of impact on our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Andy Fraizer, Executive Director. “South Jersey neighbors and organizations responded quickly to our call for help in meeting the growing need.” The Community Foundation has commitments and pledges for more than $800,000. Requests for funding total more than $1.5 million, with new requests arriving daily.
The Fund is the only such effort focused solely on the 8-county South Jersey region. It was established by a coalition of local residents, business and philanthropic partners to rapidly deploy flexible grant dollars to the nonprofit sector serving South Jersey.
Nonprofit organizations – the backbone of our communities — are on the frontlines of fighting back. They provide food, healthcare, and other crucial services where and when people need them most. “But our nonprofits are getting slammed too,” Fraizer said. “Many are laying off key staff and bleeding resources – a one-two punch that threatens the organizations and the people they serve. That’s why it’s time to help the helpers.”
CLICK HERE to see the list of first round grantees.
The Fund is making grants in multiple rounds based on three categories.
- Phase One: Triage – Immediate response to increased demand for services to meet economic security needs from South Jersey nonprofits.
- Phase Two: Treatment – Grants for nonprofits forced to modify their delivery modes due to COVID-19 and needing assistance to do so.
- Phase Three: Recovery – These grants will fund nonprofits facing extreme difficulty because of lost revenue due to closures and event cancellations, as well as other business model challenges resulting from the pandemic.
“We are grateful for contributions of any size from South Jersey neighbors who are able to give for immediate needs and a brighter recovery,” said Wanda Hardy, Chairperson of the Foundation’s Community Leadership and Engagement Committee.
For more details on making donations, funding priorities and how to apply, please visit southjerseyresponsefund.org.