11 NONPROFITS RECEIVE THIRD ROUND OF GRANTS FROM LINCOLN COVID-19 RESPONSE FUND

Lincoln Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird addressing the media on the latest in the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic on Wednesday, Mar. 18, 2020.

Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird announced Saturday that $139,000 from the Lincoln COVID-19 Response Fund was awarded to 11 nonprofits organizations serving those affected by the pandemic. This is the third round of grants from the Fund, and a total of $517,000 has been granted to 36 nonprofit organizations so far. The grants are a coordinated response to help support the basic needs of vulnerable and newly vulnerable Lincoln residents, including access to food, housing, medical information, childcare, and other support.

“The latest grants serve important ongoing and emerging needs in the community, including access to mental and behavioral healthcare, legal assistance, and childcare,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird. “These needs are going to endure for quite some time, and so I urge those in a position to contribute to do so.”

The Fund, hosted by the Lincoln Community Foundation (LCF), was announced March 20. To date, the Fund has received $852,505 in contributions, including $500,000 from strategic partners. The Fund was created to provide grants to nonprofits that support people disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.

The third round of grant recipients was identified by a committee including the City, LCF, the United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County, the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development (LPED), the Community Health Endowment (CHE), and other philanthropic and business partners. The committee is led by a committee chaired by Bryan Seck, Director of Workforce Development for LPED. Meagan Liesveld, Executive Director of the United Way serves as Vice Chair.

“Our nonprofits are being called on like never before, while experiencing financial strain themselves,” said Barbara Bartle, LCF President. “Now is the time for us all to come together to help one another. Thank you for the many gifts to the Lincoln COVID-19 Response Fund. We are all in this together.”

To make it possible to move resources quickly and adapt to evolving needs, the Fund will continue to award operating grants on a rolling basis as fundraising continues. The Fund is designed to complement the work of public health officials and expand local capacity to address all aspects of the pandemic as efficiently as possible.

The third round of grant recipients are: