Dear Grantees and Grant Applicants,

As we all work to understand and mitigate the emerging financial, health, and other needs our community is facing as part of this global pandemic, we understand that many of you may have questions and concerns about how your past and/or pending grants from the Community Foundation may be affected.

We want you to know that, following the advice of public health authorities, our staff is now working remotely. But we are also working diligently to develop a rapid and flexible method to provide relief to the hardest-hit and most vulnerable members of the community. We have been participating in state and national teleconferences, specific to foundations, to learn approaches and recommendations for addressing emergency community needs during these unprecedented times. We have also are participating in a collaborative funding strategy that will identify and fill gaps in governmental support; support nonprofit operational capacity; and support impacted low income families. CLICK HERE to find out how nonprofits can apply for emergency funding.

Also, please note the following changes that we have made, and how they may affect you, our nonprofit partners. We do understand that you may need our support now more than ever—from those of you working on the front lines of the relief effort to those organizations that may be adversely affected by closures and cancellations.

1. We have postponed the Spring 2020 Distribution Committee meeting by at least four weeks, with discretion to award some grants earlier (with board approval) on a case-by-case basis, as determined by timing and/or extreme circumstances.
2. We will monitor the needs/challenges of the four-county region over the coming weeks, in partnership with other local funders, and make recommendations regarding how to allocate funds through the collaborative funding described above.
3. In order to help our grantees meet the immediate operational needs of their own organizations AND the ongoing needs of the clients they serve, we will be offering flexibility outside our typical grant requirements. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the financial and health-related stressors it has placed on communities nationwide, we will allow discretion in the re-purposing of any grant in the amount of $7,500 or less that was awarded through our spring or fall grantmaking process prior to March 2020, if needed for emergency reasons. Grantees will be held responsible for reporting all re-use of funding on their final grant reports. Organizations that wish to re-allocate any funding from grants that were over $7,500 should contact me first, prior to making any changes outside of their grant agreements.
4. If any organization that submitted a Spring 2020 grant application is already aware that their request is no longer valid (due to cancellations, delays, changes in organization priorities, etc. from the COVID-19 pandemic), please email me to let me know if you would like to: A) withdraw your application, OR B) request that funding still be considered, but that you would like to use the grant request toward operations rather than your original project/program request.

We hope you understand the need for these changes. We believe this course of action serves the best interests of the community and is appropriate in regards to mission and goals of the Foundation.

Please do not hesitate to contact me at aberzonski@cfalleghenies.org if you have questions.

Thanks,

Angie Berzonski
Associate Director