Baltimore, April 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation today announced that its total of COVID-19 emergency support to organizations providing direct services for people experiencing poverty now exceeds $10.5 million. The Weinberg Foundation has committed an additional $6.5 million in emergency grant funding to nonprofits in all of its priority communities as part of the Foundation’s round two response to the COVID-19 public health crisis.
The $6.5 million includes a total of $4.5 million set aside for anticipated COVID response grants in Chicago, Hawaiʻi, New York City, Northeastern Pennsylvania, and San Francisco, as well as $1 million to the newly formed COVID-19 Response Funding Collaborative of Greater Baltimore and $1 million to nonprofits in Israel through a partnership with The Foundations of Bituach Le’umi, Israel’s National Insurance Institute (NII). Both of these initiatives will use a shared application process that will allow nonprofits to apply through a single website portal. All funders within each initiative will then review the shared applications and proceed with their own respective funding decisions. (Complete details of the Israel grant and partnership with The Foundations of Bituach Le’umi will be announced on Monday).
In addition, the Foundation has accelerated $3.3 million in grant payments to existing grantees, both in the United States and Israel. In Israel, accelerated grant payments total more than $500,000, and in the US, grant payments total more than $2.8 million.
“Now more than ever, it is our responsibility as funders to support those who need it most,” said Robert T. Kelly, Jr., Chair. “Uniting with other funders allows all of us to have an even greater impact on the communities we call home. It is our hope that these shared application processes will make it as easy and efficient as possible for nonprofits to access the assistance they need.”
The Baltimore-based Collaborative will fund nonprofits that are providing vital services to people experiencing poverty, while continuing to face severe operational challenges as a result of this pandemic. Grants will focus primarily on emergency essentials, including food access and health care, as well as nonprofit sustainability.
“The Weinberg Foundation's generosity and expertise are critical in meeting the overwhelming immediate needs of families and communities and to supporting the nonprofit network they depend on,” said Shanaysha Sauls, President and CEO, Baltimore Community Foundation. “We know the effects of COVID-19 will ripple through our community for weeks and months to come and that the funding community must mobilize and align resources to mitigate the impact on families and neighborhoods in crisis.”
Current participating funders include Abell Foundation, The Annie E. Casey Foundation, Baltimore Community Foundation, The Bernard Family, Clayton Baker Trust, France-Merrick Foundation, Goldseker Foundation, The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Joseph and Harvey Meyerhoff Family Charitable Funds, Leonard & Helen R. Stulman Charitable Foundation, The Lerner Family, Lockhart Vaughan Foundation, Rauch Foundation, and United Way of Central Maryland. To date, the Collaborative, managed by Baltimore’s Promise, has committed more than $3.9 million. To apply for funding from the Collaborative, click here.
Last month, the Foundation announced $4 million in initial funding, including $2.57 million to 55 nonprofits operating within the Foundation’s priority communities throughout the United States and Israel. A listing of the Foundation’s initial emergency grants can be found here.
“As this unprecedented health crisis continues to unfold, the Foundation is committed to addressing—as rapidly and thoughtfully as possible—the enormous, growing needs of nonprofits serving the most vulnerable,” said Rachel Garbow Monroe, President and CEO. “We also understand that the challenges for our partners, as well as the individuals and families most severely impacted, do not end here. In addition to grant initiatives already announced, the Foundation is also developing long-term responses to the devastating impact of this pandemic.”
All Weinberg Foundation emergency grants are approved to support the general operations of the organizations funded. The Foundation seeks to provide each organization with maximum discretion and flexibility in how the emergency funding is utilized, so long as it is consistent with the Foundation's overarching funding guidelines and restrictions.
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About The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation: The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, one of the largest private charitable foundations in the United States, is dedicated to meeting the basic needs of people experiencing poverty. In 2020, the Foundation will provide approximately $130 million in total grant activity supporting nonprofits that provide direct services in the areas of Housing, Health, Jobs, Education, and Community Services. The Foundation’s priority communities include Baltimore, Chicago, Hawaiʻi, Israel, New York City, Northeastern Pennsylvania, San Francisco, and Rural Communities (primarily rural areas within proximity to priority communities). The Foundation’s trustees are Robert T. Kelly, Jr., Chair; Ambassador Fay Hartog-Levin (Ret.); Paula B. Pretlow; Gordon Berlin; and Nimrod Goor. Rachel Garbow Monroe serves as President and CEO. For more information, please visit www.hjweinbergfoundation.org.