In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, 15 North Texas foundations and United Ways have quickly come together to create North Texas Cares, a funder collaborative that will provide support for organizations that work with people and communities most negatively affected by COVID-19, the organizations said in a news release.
This includes agencies that support individuals and families via food and/or healthcare; support for lost wages and/or housing costs; services for vulnerable populations such as seniors and/or those experiencing homelessness; as well as support for academic learning and distance learning for low-income, low-access students while schools are closed.
Participating foundations and United Ways are working collaboratively to accept emergency funding requests via www.NorthTexasCares.org, using a shared online application in order to simplify and streamline the process for nonprofits seeking emergency funds.
This is an efficient model for area funders to respond quickly to nonprofits in need, and it is already being replicated by other community foundations and funders around the country, the news release said.
“Good information, trusted relationships, and public/private sector coordination will be critical in the days and months ahead,” said Rose Bradshaw, President/CEO of North Texas Community Foundation.
She said the website will provide funders across North Texas with easy access to timely information from nonprofit partners working on the frontlines to address critical needs resulting from COVID-19.
“Together with our local philanthropic community, North Texas Community Foundation is proud to serve the community we love. We’ll see this through together,” Bradshaw said.
“In urgent times such as these, it is imperative that we come together to simplify the process for submitting funding requests, for all of our nonprofit partners,” said Leah King, president and CEO of United Way of Tarrant County. “We applaud this effort by North Texas area funders, which allows organizations like United Way and our partners to remain focused on meeting the dramatically increasing demands for food, shelter and other basic needs.”
Applications from nonprofits are now being accepted on a rolling basis and will be evaluated weekly. Independent decisions will be made by the separate funding partners (timelines vary by funder) throughout the crisis period to facilitate the urgent need for funding in light of evolving community need. Approved requests may be funded both by individual foundations as well as collectively, depending on the need.
“Our nonprofit partners are on the frontlines during the COVID-19 public health crisis, delivering critical services, while simultaneously caring for the health and safety of their employees and managing their business operations,” said Matthew Randazzo, president and CEO of The Dallas Foundation. “Collaborating with other funders across the region to ensure efficient and timely access to philanthropic dollars will guarantee those resources reach the individuals and families most in need without placing an undue burden on the nonprofit organizations providing them.”
To be eligible for funding, organizations must be a 501c3 organization that provides services that address immediate or long-term relief efforts in support of COVID-19 response in the North Texas area. Requests for funding from nonprofits need to focus either on first responders and/or support for vulnerable populations – examples could include seniors, children, homeless, low-income displaced workers, first responders, medical professionals, and those without other resources.
“The number of prominent North Texas funding organizations who have committed to use this shared application is remarkable, and new partners continue to join daily. Our goal is to help ease the burden on nonprofits in need in the most efficient way possible. This is an extraordinary example of collective impact that builds on our community’s history of coming together to support one another,” said Dave Scullin, President and CEO of Communities Foundation of Texas.
“We’re facing unprecedented challenges in our community as we confront the COVID-19 emergency, and it’s important that we do it together. United Way is proud to join and help lead the North Texas Cares initiative to ensure that those hit hardest by this pandemic will receive assistance as quickly as possible,” said Jennifer Sampson, McDermott-Templeton President and CEO of United Way of Metropolitan Dallas. “We are committed to addressing the immediate needs of our neighbors and the longer-term impacts this crisis will have on education, income and health in North Texas.”
To access the website:
https://northtexascares.org/
– FWBP Staff