Photo courtesy of Apricity.

Thanks to gifts generously donated to the COVID-19 Community Response Fund established by the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region and United Way Fox Cities, five more nonprofits have been awarded $48,500 in grants to assist their efforts as they respond to the unfolding public health emergency. That brings the total awarded to 41 nonprofit organizations so far from the fund to $453,500.

Grants from the fund support nonprofit organizations engaging in immediate basic needs relief, short-term response and longer-term recovery of many types of nonprofits in Outagamie, Calumet, Shawano, Waupaca and the Neenah-Menasha area of Winnebago counties. Grants will continue to be awarded on an ongoing basis and listed on our COVID -19 Grants page.

The current phase one of granting is focusing on the Fox Valley region’s most vulnerable populations and the nonprofit organizations providing urgent basic needs support such as safe shelter, food, childcare, health and financial assistance. Here are the latest grants awarded in each of those categories:

Vulnerable Populations

Valley Packaging Industries — The organization will use a $25,000 grant to continue providing critical community programs, such as mental health telephone services, basic needs assistance, video employment planning and early intervention for people with disabilities in Outagamie, Calumet, Waupaca and the Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago counties.

Apricity — A $15,000 grant will help the organization ensure the safety of its staff and clients while providing treatment, employment and support to people affected by substance use disorders, primarily in Outagamie and the Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago counties.

Health

Volunteer Fox Cities — A $5,000 grant supports Phone Pals, an outreach program developed in conjunction with the COVID-19 Community Solutions Team that uses volunteers to make friendly phone calls to isolated, homebound residents in Outagamie, Calumet and Neenah/Menasha area of Winnebago counties who may be vulnerable to mental health issues, depression, loneliness and anxiety during the public health crisis.

Sexual Assault Crisis Center — A $1,000 grant supports the organization’s move to a virtual environment to conduct its work, which involves providing no-cost crisis intervention and medical and legal advocacy for victims of sexual assault or abuse, their families and friends in Outagamie and Calumet Counties.

Food

Boys and Girls Club of Shawano — The organization will use a $2,500 grant to provide relief bags with food and other basic necessities to club members and their families in Shawano County.

Donors to the COVID-19 Community Response Fund:

Since the Community Foundation and United Way established the fund March 17 with $50,000 each, many individuals, funders and businesses have stepped up very generously to contribute more than $756,900. Updated donor recognition is listed on our COVID-19 Donor Page.

The needs of local nonprofit organizations are and will continue to be significant during the public health crisis and beyond. Ongoing donations to the fund, as well as direct donations to nonprofit organizations from individuals with a passion for specific organizations and causes, are critical now and during the weeks and months to come.

How to donate to the COVID-19 Community Response Fund:

The Community Foundation is waiving all credit card and administrative fees for this fund. Every dollar donated into the fund will be put into action in the community.  To donate online, please visit our COVID-How to Help page.

Checks can be made payable to the Community Foundation/COVID-19 and mailed to Community Foundation, 4455 W. Lawrence St., Appleton, WI 54914.

About the COVID-19 Community Response Fund Granting Approach:

The fund supports local nonprofit and other community organizations engaging in response and recovery efforts in Outagamie, Calumet, Shawano, Waupaca and the Neenah-Menasha area of Winnebago counties impacted by the COVID-19 public health emergency.

Currently the fund is in “Phase One” of granting, addressing immediate basic needs for people who are disproportionately affected by the crisis. This phase includes proactively identifying potential grant recipients and using input, guidance and research from organizations and others in the community to make grant decisions.

In order to move resources quickly and not further burden nonprofit organizations, during Phase One there will not be a formal application process. Nonprofits providing immediate basic needs relief can email United Way to share their needs so they can be considered during the granting process.

As the crisis and long-term impacts continue to unfold, the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region and United Way Fox Cities will continue to assess and consider evolving the granting approach into subsequent phases for many types of nonprofit organizations. The grants committee meets on a weekly basis to understand needs and make decisions.

We invite you to donate now to the COVID-19 Community Response Fund. You can also learn about who has given to the fund, the fund’s grant recipients, and check out our latest news and updates.