Covid-19 Funding | NWFL Minority.biz

Funding Resources

Featured Funding Opportunities

Florida Blue Foundation: Another Funding Opportunity Available

The Florida Blue Foundation recently refreshed its strategic plan, and updated objectives and focus areas. We will prioritize our resources to improve the health outcomes of Floridians, while aligning our efforts with community needs and serving as a thought leader and trusted partner in our communities.

Through three new strategic Drivers of Health, we believe we are firmly positioned to make a difference in the health of individuals and communities in Florida through our philanthropic resources. The Foundation will focus its funding priorities on these three areas that have a significant impact on the health of Floridians: Food Security, Health Equity and Mental Well-Being. As we look at the magnitude of the challenges presented by COVID-19, we will stay focused on the individuals, families and communities in need, even more so, after this pandemic.

The latest grant opportunity is in the Health Equity program area. Click on the link below for information, guidelines and the link to submit a Health Equity Health Equity

Deadline to submit: September 30, 2020, 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

To learn more about both grant opportunities, visit the Florida Blue Foundation.

Leon Cares

Social Services funds health and human service programs for which County participation is mandated by the State of Florida and awards grants to local service providers who demonstrate successful prevention and intervention strategies that serve to reduce these costly mandates. The services are delivered in such a way that they preserve and encourage the individual's dignity and sense of self-worth as well as the dignity and self-worth of those who provide the services. This grant opportunity may award up to $20,000 for qualified nonprofit organizations. Grant application opens on August 17th. Read more.

Grantmakers for Girls of Color

Girls and young women of color live at the intersections of sexism, racism, and other forms of oppression that prevent their full participation in our country’s future. Yet new research is helping us to better understand the barriers they face, while opening up new pathways for partnership and shared progress. While we are now pausing review of new fund inquiries until mid-August, all organizations that meet the qualifications are invited to submit an interest form for consideration for an invitation to apply for a grant. For more information on the criteria to apply to the fund please see our G4GC Love is Healing COVID-19 Response Fund FAQ. Visit Grantmakers for Girls of Color website for more information.

PPP Nonprofit Loan Forgiveness Comes Early Source: Nonprofit Charity

In a 34-page interim final rule (IFR) issued in consultation with Treasury, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) addresses a number of issues related to the PPP, which was created by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act to provide forgivable loans to small businesses, not-for-profits, and certain other entities hurt by the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated government-imposed quarantines.

Specifically, the new interim final rule makes revisions to previous guidance to reflect the Paycheck Protection Program Flexibility Act of 2020, which became law on June 5 and made significant changes to the PPP, most notably:

Expanding to 24 weeks, from eight weeks, the covered period during which PPP loan recipients can spend the funds and still qualify for loan forgiveness. The 24-week period applies to all loans made on or after June 5. Borrowers that received loans before June 5 can choose to elect an eight-week period.
Lowering to 60% from 75% the proportion of PPP funding that must be used on payroll costs to qualify for full forgiveness.
Expanding the term for new loans to five years from two years. Borrowers with loans received before June 5 can extend their loan term to five years if their lender agrees.

2020 Technology Innovation Awards: Awarding $10,000

Does your nonprofit have a technology related project idea that will advance your mission? The Technology Innovation Awards recognize nonprofit organizations that have plans to positively impact their communities and change lives, through innovative technology projects. Tech Forward will grant $10,000 to nonprofits to help implement these technologies. Deadline to apply is July 24, 2020 Read more about the eligibility requirements and how to apply here.

Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) 2020-2021 Request For Proposals

Contingent upon the receipt of federal funding, Volunteer Florida is pleased to announce the availability of 2020-2021 Volunteer Generation Fund (VGF) grant funding. Proposals are due August 13, 2020.

Volunteer Florida’s VGF program helps organizations to more effectively recruit, manage, support and retain skills-based volunteers. Skills-based volunteering is a strategic type of volunteerism that expands the impact of community organizations by engaging professionals from all industries, matching their experience, talents and education with the needs of nonprofits. Visit https://www.volunteerflorida.org/grants/

Mellon Foundation

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation supports a wide range of initiatives to strengthen the humanities, arts, higher education, and cultural heritage. Organizations in those fields can consult descriptions of the Foundation's areas of grantmaking to determine whether a project fits within the Foundation's programmatic interests and priorities. Learn more.

GrantStation Insider for Nonprofit PRO: Opportunities Related to the COVID- 19 Pandemic

As nonprofits are forced to navigate uncharted waters due to myriad challenges brought on by COVID-19, NonProfit PRO has partnered with GrantStation to share available grant funding opportunities for nonprofits in four categories: COVID-19, national, regional and federal. And they'll update these funding opportunities on a weekly basis. View the list here.

$1.7 Billion in Cash, Debt Committed To Stabilize Nonprofits

Five foundations have committed to increase their payouts $1.7 billion within the next three years — mostly through issuing debt versus spending from endowments — to help stabilize nonprofits impacted by the coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and social injustice.

The foundations participating in today’s announcement, followed by their anticipated commitment, are:

Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, up to $100 million;
John D. & Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, $100 million; and,
Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, $200 million.

Learn more here.

CRA Now Accepting Grant Submissions

The City of Tallahassee Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) has authorized $385,000 to help fund the Fiscal Year 2020 and 2021 Promotional & Special Event Grants and the Large Event Grant Programs. The Greater Frenchtown/Southside (GFS) and Downtown (DT) Promotional/Special Event Grant Program has been approved for a total of $85,000 with $50,000 allocated for the GFS District and $35,000 allocated for the DT District. The FY2020 GFS, FY2021 GFS and FY2021 DT Large Event Grant Programs have been approved for $100,000, respectively. Events of the four programs must take place within the applicable CRA District for which the application is submitted. Learn more information about the CRA grant and submission.

Grant applications are currently being accepted in the Mental Well-Being program area. The deadline date is listed below along with clarification conference call information.

Click on the link below for information, guidelines and the link to submit an application to any of the four funding priorities under Mental Well-Being:

Mental Well-Being

Deadline to submit: July 22, 2020, 5:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Application Clarification Conference Calls for:

Opioids & Substance Abuse- Intervention

Opioids & Substance Abuse- Prevention

1) June 16, 2020 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)
2) June 17, 2020 11:00 a.m. - 12:30 p.m. (Eastern Time)

Application Clarification Conference Calls for:

Mental Well-Being for Children and Families

Mental Well-Being: Loneliness

1) June 17, 2020 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. (Eastern Time)

2) June 17, 2020 2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. (Eastern Time)

All clarification conference calls are Eastern Time (ET). To participate, please dial toll-free 1-800-882-3610. The pass code is 2871940#.

Applications for Food Security and Health Equity will be available later this summer. Be watching the Florida Blue Foundation website and emails like this for details and deadlines.

Please direct questions to: floridabluefoundation@floridablue.com, or 1-800-477-3736, ext. 63215.

National Endowment for Humanities has 39 grant opportunities.

NEH offers a variety of grant programs to individuals and organizations that do the highest quality work to promote the humanities. Grants range from capacity building to research and development. Visit their website for more information.

Need help with applying for the Payroll Protection Plan? Then contact a fellow nonprofit organization, Florida Community Loan Fund for assistance. https://fclf.org/paycheck-protection-program

The Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) provides potentially forgivable loans for nonprofits with 500 or fewer employees.

We are pleased to announce that Florida Community Loan Fund (FCLF) is partnering with the Community Reinvestment Fund, USA (CRF) with the capacity to bring up to $10 million in PPP loans to Florida nonprofit organizations. This partnership brings together FCLF’s knowledge and experience with lending to Florida nonprofits, and CRF's experience as an SBA-qualified lender.

Florida nonprofit organizations can now apply for an SBA Paycheck Protection Program loan through FCLF’s nonprofit SBA lending partner, CRF. Important to note:

You do not need to be an existing FCLF borrower to apply (spread the word!)
Loan applications of any size are welcome
We serve the entire state and our program is open to any nonprofit organization based in Florida.

The Red Backpack Fund - Sara Blakely Foundation

Since its inception, Spanx and The Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation have been dedicated to elevating and supporting women through entrepreneurship. Knowing the ripple effect that empowering women can have to strengthen neighborhoods, cities and countries, The Spanx by Sara Blakely Foundation donated $5 million to support female entrepreneurs in the wake of COVID-19 and teamed up with GlobalGiving to establish The Red Backpack Fund. GlobalGiving will be overseeing the fund, making 1,000 grants of $5,000 each to female entrepreneurs in the U.S. to help alleviate the immediate needs and support the long-term recovery of those impacted by this crisis.

Thank you for your interest in The Red Backpack Fund. The first round of applications were open from April 6 at 12pm ET through April 12 at 11:59pm ET. Final grant recipients will be notified by the week of May 11. Each month, we will accept additional applications. The portal will open for applications again on May 4, June 1, July 6, and August 3.

Nonprofit organizations are eligible to apply. This grant is the perfect opportunity for organizations that serve "women and girls" and provide programs for entrepreneurship. For more information, visit https://www.globalgiving.org/redbackpackfund/

Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium (SBGWC)

The Southern Black Girls and Women’s Consortium (SBGWC) is a collective of funders, activists and community leaders working to advance the movements for Black girls and women in the Deep South. We are offering an immediate funding opportunity to support Black girls and women and the people who rely on them. The SBGWC COVID-19 fund will rapidly deploy resources to organizations that support Black girls and women in the South that may be experiencing financial crisis or uncertainty due to the coronavirus outbreak. For more information, click here.

If you have questions about the online application email us at info@southernblackgirls.org.

Who Can Apply?

The Southern Black Women and Girl's Consortium funds Black girls and black girl-serving organizations in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia
Applications from individuals, coalitions, organizations, and groups are encouraged
See the #BlackGirlJoy Challenge or the COVID-19 Rapid Response Grant for further details regarding these applications
If you are a Black Girl Joy Challenge applicant look at the guides in our toolkit for easy directions

Emergent Fund

There are two types of efforts we support, which distinguish an Emergent Fund grant from thousands of other worthy projects and organizations:

Efforts that support emergent strategies that help communities respond to rapidly changing conditions. This includes resisting new or amplified threats and building power to move a proactive agenda.
Efforts seeking long-term social justice and economic justice in a political and social climate that seeks to dismantle such efforts.

Additional considerations:

Emergent work: New solutions responding to rapidly changing conditions in the current political environment
Visionary and Power Building: Seeks transformational systemic changes rooted in social and economic justice. Develops community power through organizing and/or leadership development (including through new tools), direct action, and/or cultural work
Leadership from affected communities
Intersectional Analysis: Engages multiple identities and multi-racial alliance building as core to theory of change
Endorsed: Recommended by a member of the Nominations Network
Right size of need: The level of Emergent Fund support is appropriate to the work

Proposals can be ideas, collaborations, campaigns, or organizations, whether or not they are fully formed; don't worry about your notes being perfect or comprehensive. For more information, visit https://www.emergentfund.net/covid-19

De Colores Rapid Response Fund
As the outbreak of COVID-19 presents growing and unprecedented challenges for organizers nationwide, the De Colores Rapid Response Fund, designed for strategic intervention in movement moments like this, offers grants of $500 to $1,000 to grassroots organizations working to make positive community interventions through strategic, organizing-focused approaches, especially in marginalized communities of color and working class communities.

Equal Sound Corona Relief Fund
The Equal Sound Corona Relief Fund provides direct financial assistance to musicians in the U.S. who have lost work as a result of Corona-related event cancellations. The Fund will pay out a maximum of $500 per gig. Learn more and apply.

Florida Blue Foundation

Our commitment to making a positive impact in the community is firmly rooted in our core company value to help people and communities achieve better health. Working in partnership with nonprofit organizations, the Florida Blue Foundation addresses critical issues in local communities, opening new windows of opportunity to better enable our neighbors to reach their potential.

Build Healthy, Strong Communities encompasses applications for programs and support related to improving education/literacy, especially birth through 5; health and human services; arts and culture; and community development.

To request support for your program, please click on the following link:
Build Healthy, Strong Communities Application
Once your application is received, our review team will rank it against our criteria and respond within 60 days. Please click on the links below for more helpful information about our charitable giving program.

FY 2020 AmeriCorps Planning Grants
Volunteer Florida announces $300,000 in funding to support Florida’s communities. Organizations can apply to receive up to $75,000 to address critical community need caused by COVID-19. This grant opportunity is to support AmeriCorps Planning Grants of up to $75,000.00 each to be awarded to up to four eligible organizations. AmeriCorps Planning Grants offer a one year (12 month) period for an organization to develop an evidence based or evidence informed AmeriCorps program concept in response to COVID-19. Organizations receiving AmeriCorps Planning Grants are expected to submit an application for operational AmeriCorps grant funding in the subsequent grant year.

MusiCares: COVID-19 Relief Fund
To help address the concerns of the music industry during this time, MusicCares has expanded their services to include lost income due to the cancellation of scheduled gigs or performances due to Coronavirus/COVID-19 precautionary measures. Music industry professionals may apply for basic living assistance (rent or mortgage).

National Endowment for Humanities
The National Endowment for Humanities has received millions to award to nonprofits. Be creative and submit your grant.

“Our federal agency will work around the clock to ensure that these vital funds immediately reach large and small cultural organizations, as well as educators, curators, scholars, filmmakers, and other humanists,” said NEH Chairman Jon Parrish Peede.

One Fair Wage Emergency Fund
The One Fair Wage Emergency Fund is providing cash assistance to restaurant workers, car service drivers, delivery workers, personal service workers, and more who need the money they aren’t getting to survive. At the moment, the Fund is prioritizing tipped workers, gig workers and service workers in California, Colorado, the District of Columbia, Florida, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, and Pennsylvania. However, they are currently taking applications nationally and are actively raising money to support workers in all states as soon as possible.

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation funds a wide array of research and initiatives to help address some of America’s most pressing health challenges.

Stimulus Funds Administered through the U.S. Small Business Administration
There are three funding options available to small businesses and nonprofit organizations through the SBA. :

Paycheck Protection Program
Economic Injury Disaster Loan
Economic Injury Disaster Advance Loan

Small Business Administration Extended Disaster Loans
SBA is collecting the requested information in order to make a loan under SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program to the qualified entities listed in this application that are impacted by the Coronavirus (COVID-19).

US Department of Labor
The US Department of Labor is offering National Dislocated Worker Grant funding to address the emergency response to COVID-19. U.S. Department of Labor Employment Recovery Dislocated Worker Grants (DWGs) provide resources to states and other eligible applicants to respond to major economic dislocations, such as large, unexpected layoff events that cause significant job losses.

Writer's Emergency Fund
The Writers’ Emergency Fund supports the literary community at a time when the health and livelihoods of so many are at risk. Grants of $500 to $1,000 will be based on applications that demonstrate an inability to meet an acute financial need, especially one resulting from the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak. The Fund is open to professional writers based in the United States, including fiction and nonfiction authors, poets, playwrights, screenwriters, translators, and journalists.

LyftUp COVID-19 Community Grants
The LyftUp COVID-19 Community Grants program provides support to organizations in the U.S. Through the Essential Deliveries program, organizations that need delivery services for essential goods—such as groceries, medical supplies, auto parts, and home necessities—are matched with Lyft drivers, who can carry the deliveries out. Additionally, in collaboration with 500+ community partners, Lyft is helping provide essential services, including trips to the grocery store, pharmacy, healthcare appointments, etc., to those in need. Requests may be submitted at any time.

Awesome Tallahassee
Awesome Tallahassee gives a $1000 grant, each month, to “people doing awesome things in our community.” If you have a great idea for the Tallahassee area apply for a grant today! The application deadline is the 15th of each month and they typically meet the following Wednesday to review grant applications. If you applied and your project was not selected, please feel free to reapply. They only review applications from the current month’s applicant pool. Also, don’t hesitate to contact them if you would like feedback on your application.
If you have any questions about applying for a grant or becoming a trustee you can e-mail them at, tallahassee@awesomefoundation.org.

Costco Wholesale
Costco Wholesale’s primary charitable efforts specifically focus on programs supporting children, education, and health and human services in the communities where we do business.

Donation and Grant Eligibility Guidelines
To apply for Costco support, organizations must meet the following general requirements:

Must be a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization
Focus on supporting children, education, and/or health and human services
Monetary requests only

Costco accepts and reviews funding requests throughout the year on a rolling basis, and organizations are eligible to submit one application per fiscal year (Sep-Aug).

Florida Blue Foundation

The Florida Blue Foundation recently refreshed its strategic plan, and updated objectives and focus areas. They will prioritize their resources to improve the health outcomes of Floridians, while aligning their efforts with community needs and serving as a thought leader and trusted partner in their communities.

Through their three new strategic Drivers of Health, they believe they are firmly positioned to make a difference in the health of individuals and communities in Florida through philanthropic resources. The Foundation will focus its funding priorities on Food Security because it has a significant impact on the health of Floridians. As they look at the magnitude of the challenges presented by COVID-19, they will stay focused on the individuals, families and communities in need, even more so, after this pandemic.

Driver of Health: Food Security

Goal: Impact food security of families and communities to help mitigate associated costly issues, which can be detrimental to health, development and well-being

Target Issues:

Access to healthy food for those who live in food deserts
Affordability of healthy food
Awareness and education surrounding proper nutrition

Funding Opportunities under Food Security program:

For application details, deadlines and other requirements, please click on the appropriate link below to complete your application(s):