Responding to COVID-19: Foundations Developing Emergency Funds (Part II)
The COVID-19 pandemic is exposing the racial and economic inequities in our country. To some extent, private philanthropy is targeting the most vulnerable populations -- low-income, POC, and immigrant communities, among others -- to attempt to fill some of those gaps.
Here’s an updated list of private funding resources. If you know of a resource we should include, please share it with us, so we can disseminate it widely.
HOMELESS YOUTH:
Funders Together To End Homelessness continues to update local and national resources on COVID-19, including foundation resources, including:
Chan Zuckerberg Initiative’s commitment to $5 million in the Bay area in response to COVID-19
Community Foundations’ COVID-19 funds can be searched by state here.
Building Changes and the Raikes Foundation launched the Washington State Student and Youth Homelessness COVID-19 Response Fund, specifically targeting the needs of homeless students and youth.
UNDOCUMENTED WORKERS, IMMIGRANTS, AND POC:
Asian Pacific Environmental Network: COVID-19 Emergency Community Fund supports working-class immigrants and refugees.
Grant-makers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees (GCIR) launched the California Immigrant Resilience Fund, seeking to raise $50 million to provide cash assistance to undocumented Californians and their families, who are ineligible for COVID-19 federal relief and state safety-net programs.
The Marguerite Casey Foundation seeded an emergency income relief fund from Workers Lab that focuses on serving gig and undocumented workers.
Robin Hood Foundation’s Relief Fund is serving low-income children and families, low-wage workers, individuals and families who are homeless and immigrant communities
Using a racial justice lens, The Brooklyn Community Foundation is addressing anti-Asian harassment and discrimination; as well as practical needs (education, sanitary supplies) for vulnerable populations.
Solidaire Network is maintaining a running list of grassroots groups for and by communities of color working at intersectional justice issues.
CROWDFUNDING CAMPAIGNS FOR POC:
Emergent Fund - The People’s Bailout is raising $500,000 to move to grassroots organizations and mutual aid groups working to act “swiftly and responsively with deep trust in Indigenous, Black, and people of color organizers and those closest to the harm.”
F2L Relief Fund for Queer and Trans People of Color Incarcerated in New York State will make commitments of $1800 to incarcerated F2L members for items like food, toiletries, and gender-affirming clothing.
Latino Community Foundation’s Love Not Fear Fund is raising funds for Latino-led organizations serving California’s most vulnerable communities, including farmworkers and working-class families.
TRANS:
Third Wave Fund, a leader in gender justice, a movement to end patriarchy, transphobia, homophobia and misogyny, has increased their Mobilize Power Rapid Response Fund to $500,000 in response to COVID-19.
Trans Justice Funding Project (TJFP) is moving more money in 2020 to trans-led justice groups and is also joining an emergency response effort with Third Wave Fund, Borealis’s Fund for Trans Generations, Funders for LGBT Issues’ Grant-makers United for Trans Community, and Wellspring.
For information about the Coronavirus Rapid Response Fund for Trans Communities, contact FTG@borealisphilanthropy.org for more information (no link available).
HIV:
The Elton John AIDS Foundation announced a new COVID-19 emergency fund for its current grantees. Funding can include transitioning from face-to-face models of care and more. The deadline for application is April 23rd and can be found here.
Gilead announced it’s providing $20 million in emergency funds for COVID-19. Only existing grantees are eligible and should submit funding requests using Gilead’s online grants management system.