COV-19 MN Mosques / Centers Resource page

Last Updated: 06 April 2020 | Hits: 1248

COV-19 MN Mosques / Centers Resource page

Below are funding opportunities from various Foundations and Funds in response to the COVID-19 Outbreak:

Minneapolis Foundation

Minneapolis Foundation will be leveraging their OneMPLS Fund to support local community response to the pandemic. The OneMPLS Fund is a collective impact fund designed to be nimble and responsive, expanding on community equity investments by making more resources available to address emerging issues. Local organizations that are essential to the fabric of our community are beginning to face significant challenges in this time of uncertainty. OneMPLS will support services to address negative economic impact due to the COVID crisis with emphasis on vulnerable populations, those most effected such as older adults, those who lost their job, students, artists and others.

Prioritizing Minneapolis and the 7 county metro area
Granting directly to nonprofits and fiscal sponsors
Aim to review and fund applications weekly
submission online
Over $500,000 fund with $10,000 minimum per grant funding (fund is open for public contributions online)
Application will be online in the next week follow: https://www.minneapolisfoundation.org/actions-were-taking-to-navigate-the-coronavirus-pandemic/

Contacts: Jo-Anne E. Stately This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. and Patrice Relerford This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

MCF Disaster Recovery Fund

Eligible organizations are community intermediaries, such as local community foundations, Minnesota Initiative Foundations, tribal nations, community development financial institutions, coalitions, networks, associations, and other intermediaries who have the knowledge to address specific needs in their communities, as well as the ability to be nimble and responsive in times of emerging needs. These organizations must have an existing grant-making or fund distribution process in place to get funds to individuals and families, nonprofit organizations, and/or small businesses. Intermediaries that are experienced and well positioned to redistribute funds. Most intermediaries will be nonprofits, intermediaries that receive funds may need administrative fees to sustain their organizational efforts. Examples include Springboard for the Arts, MIFs, Think Small, etc. as organizations that fund other organizations and individuals in need.

Prioritizing Minnesota intermediaries
Direct service nonprofits and individuals should NOT apply
Aim to review and fund applications weekly (next funding decision 3/27 applications due 3/25)
Applications will be reviewed by an advisory committee made up of individuals with experience in disaster recovery, governor’s office, state agencies and other representative groups.
Non funded applications will be held and reconsidered
Over $5M fund with no minimum or maximum per grant funded (fund is open for public contributions online)
Application are a basic pdf. Complete this form and email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Contacts: Susie Brown This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Headwaters Foundation for Justice

First round of funding from the Community First Fund is aimed at current Headwaters Foundation for Justice Grantees. Current grantees include those that received a grant from Headwaters from 1/2018 to now. The fund will open to others pending contributions and need. Headwaters prioritize constituent led partners—led by and serve Black People, Indigenous People, and people of color (BIPOC), ability and gender identity. Those partner communities continue to absorb more social, political, and economic consequences than they did before the outbreak that include racial and economic hardship and injustice.

Constituent led means people most effected are in charge of decision making. 51% of board and staff is represented as the effected constituency.
Application to be online this week at https://Headwatersfoundation.org
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and announced in 10 days or less
Current fund is $600,000 with projected grants to be $1000-15,000 per grant for general operations
Grants will be 6month responsive grants and any additional funds will be directed toward long-term effort

Contact Maria De La Cruz This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or Melissa Rudnick This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation

COVID-19 Responsive Grants 2020

As we all know, the COVID-19 crisis continues to have far-reaching impacts on the lives and health of all Minnesotans. The Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota Foundation remains committed to making a healthy difference in communities by being responsive and supportive in this unprecedented time.

To that end, the Foundation has created a $750,000 COVID-19 rapid response fund that will be open as of April 1, 2020. The Foundation invites applications for grants between $5,000–$25,000 aimed at addressing immediate needs due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Grants are for a six-month period from the date funding is awarded. Grant applications will be reviewed and funded every two weeks until available funds are depleted.

Priority focus areas include but are not limited to: Child care for health care workers, emergency workers and other priority populations Emergency food shelf and food delivery for vulnerable people
Support for people experiencing economic insecurity Anti-xenophobia and anti-bias efforts related to COVID-19 Homelessness or housing insecurity exacerbated by the crisis

Priority applicants include current Foundation grantees and nonprofit partners of the Center for Prevention at Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Minnesota. Other nonprofits with unique capabilities to serve vulnerable populations may also apply. Vulnerable populations include older adults, people who are immunocompromised, indigenous and people of color (IPOC), LGBTQ and persons with differing abilities.

If you have questions about this funding opportunity, please reach out to a Foundation senior program officer:

Bilal Alkatout This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (651) 662-2734
Claire Chang This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (651) 662-7416
Allison Corrado This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (651) 662-4613

For questions about the application process, please contact Operations Manager Janet Jablonske at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or (651) 662-7417.

Applications are due on Wednesday, April 8; Wednesday, April 22; and Wednesday, May 6, 2020; all at noon Central Time, through the online application system.

Otto Bremmer Trust

In response to COVID-19, the Otto Bremer Trust (OBT) has established a $50 million emergency fund through its Community Benefit Financial Company (CBFC) subsidiary to provide financial support to Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and Montana nonprofits and other community organizations impacted by and responding to the pandemic. The fund will provide resources in the form of short-term loans, lines of credit, and emergency grants.

-Will accept applications with no intent to pay back (grant) but most agreements will be short term loan funds to be paid back as PRIs (they are open and looking for financial creativity)
-Loan terms: many products: lines of credit, loans to be repaid in 2-3 years with no hard parameters.
-Aim to review and fund applications weekly
https://ottobremer.org/emergency-fund/

United Way Response Fund

Based on the most urgent needs identified by Greater Twin Cities United Way’s 95 nonprofit community partners, United Way is prioritizing its fundraising around food; shelter; child care; sanitary and hygiene supplies; and financial assistance, and will direct funds to its existing nonprofit grantees.

https://www.gtcuw.org/

Contact: Kelly Puspoki, Greater Twin Cities United Way This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

How the COVID-19 economic stimulus bill would affect nonprofits

What’s in the Bill for Nonprofits

The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) (S. 748) provides significant funding for businesses, hospitals, schools, and social support programs, among many other things. Below are key nonprofit issues of sector-wide interest on which advocates have been most active. These are based on an initial analysis of the nearly 900-page bill. More details may become apparent with more thorough analysis.

Emergency Small Business Loans (emergency SBA 7(a) loans): Provides funding for special emergency loans of up to $10 million for eligible nonprofits and small businesses, permitting them to cover costs of payroll, operations, and debt service, and provides that the loans be forgiven in whole or in part under certain circumstances. Title I, Section 1102.

General Eligibility: Available to entities that existed on March 1, 2020 and had paid employees.
Nonprofit Eligibility: Available for charitable nonprofits with 500 or fewer employees (counting each individual – full time or part time and not FTEs). The final bill does not include a provision in earlier drafts that would have disqualified nonprofits that are eligible for payments under Title XIX of the Social Security Act (Medicaid).
Loan Use: Loan funds could be used to make payroll and associated costs, including health insurance premiums, facilities costs, and debt service.
Loan Forgiveness: Employers that maintain employment between March 1 and June 30 would be eligible to have their loans forgiven, essentially turning the loan into a grant. Section 1106.

Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL): Eliminates creditworthiness requirements and appropriates an additional $10 billion to the EIDL program so that eligible nonprofits and other applicants can get checks for $10,000 within three days. Section 1110.

Self-Funded Nonprofits and Unemployment: Only reimburses self-funded nonprofits for half of the costs of benefits provided to their laid-off employees. This is explained in a recent blog article. Section 2103.

Charitable Giving Incentive: Includes a new above-the-line deduction (universal or non-itemizer deduction that applies to all taxpayers) for total charitable contributions of up to $300. The incentive applies to contributions made in 2020 and would be claimed on tax forms next year. Section 2204. The bill also lifts the existing cap on annual contributions for those who itemize, raising it from 60 percent of adjusted gross income to 100 percent. For corporations, the bill raises the annual limit from 10 percent to 25 percent. Food donations from corporations would be available to 25 percent, up from the current 15 percent cap. Section 2205.

Employee Retention Payroll Tax Credit: Creates a refundable payroll tax credit of up to $5,000 for each employee on the payroll when certain conditions are met. The entity had to be an ongoing concern at the beginning of 2020 and had seen a drop in revenue of at least 50 percent in the first quarter compared to the first quarter of 2019. The availability of the credit would continue each quarter until the organization’s revenue exceeds 80 percent of the same quarter in 2019. For tax-exempt organizations, the entity’s whole operations must be taken into account when determining the decline in revenues. Notably, employers receiving emergency SBA 7(a) loans would not be eligible for these credits. Section 2301.

Industry Stabilization Fund: Creates a loan and loan guarantee program for industries like airlines to keep them solvent through the crisis. It sets aside $425 billion for “eligible business” which is defined as “a United States business that has not otherwise received economic relief in the form of loans or loan guarantees provided under” the legislation. It is expected, but unclear, whether charitable nonprofits qualify under that definition for industry stabilization loans. Mid-sized businesses, including nonprofits, that have between 500 and 10,000 employees are expressly eligible for loans under this provision. Although there is no loan forgiveness provision in this section, the mid-size business loans would be charged an interest rate of no higher than two percent and would not accrue interest or require repayments for the first six months. Nonprofits accepting the mid-size business loans must retain at least 90 percent of their staff at full compensation. Section 4003.

The Minnesota Council of Nonprofits (MCN) — in partnership with our allies in the nonprofit, public, and private sectors — is pleased to co-host free webinars in the coming weeks in response to COVID-19 and its impact on nonprofits and the communities they serve.

To learn more about or register for these free informational offerings, please jump to the links below:

Note: Recordings of each webinar will be made publicly available on MCN'sCOVID-19 response page.

Other Significant Provisions

Direct Payments to adults of $1,200 or less and $500 per child ($3,400 for a family of four) to be sent out in weeks. The amount of the payments phases out based on earnings of between $75,000 and $99,000 ($150,000 / $198,000 for couples).

Expanded Unemployment Insurance: Includes coverage for workers who are furloughed, gig workers, and freelancers. Increases payments by $600 per week for four months on top of what state unemployment programs pay.

Amendments to the New Paid Leave Mandates: Lowers the amounts that employers must pay for paid sick and family leave under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act* (enacted March 19) to the amounts covered by the refundable payroll tax credit – i.e., $511 per day for employee sick leave or $200 per day for family leave.

Significant Spending: The bill also calls for large infusions of cash to the following sectors:

$150 billion for a state, tribal, and local Coronavirus Relief fund
$130 billion for hospitals
$30 billion for education

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NATIONAL RESOURCES & GRANTS

COVID-19 Foundation Response Funds :

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