READING, PA – Berks County Community Foundation has launched an emergency grant program to help Berks County nonprofits fill critical gaps in funding that have occurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funding is meant to help with unexpected expenses or revenue losses that are not otherwise recoverable by the stimulus measures that the government has put into place.
Applications for COVID-19 Nonprofit Continuity Grants will be accepted online between April 1 and April 10, 2020. Applications will be reviewed and grant decisions announced no later than April 17, 2020. Approved grants will be distributed May 1, 2020.
Eligible organizations must meet ALL THREE of these requirements:
- Be a nonprofit organization exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code or an organization exempt as a religious, educational, or governmental entity.
- Operate in Berks County, Pennsylvania.
- Have increased expenses or diminished revenue as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic that will not be reimbursed or covered in full or in part by local, state, or federal stimulus programs.
The minimum grant size is $500 and the maximum grant size is $20,000. This wide range reflects the diversity of organizations and needs in the community at this time.
“Unlike many of our grant opportunities that have restrictions based on a local geography or a field of work, this program is open to all Berks County nonprofits,” said Heidi Williamson, Senior Vice President for Programs and Initiatives at the Community Foundation. “The broad guidelines and range of grant size are meant to acknowledge the reality that all kinds of nonprofit organizations in our community have been impacted in all kinds of ways, from all-volunteer groups with annual budgets of less than $10,000, to large professional organizations with many employees and budgets in the millions. Funding gaps will range in size and scope, which is why we’re not being prescriptive about what will and will not be funded beyond the three main requirements.”
Apply April 1 to April 10 at bccf.org or directly at this link: https://bccfgrants.academicworks.com/opportunities/716
