Evansville region COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund now accepting applications from nonprofits

EVANSVILLE, Ind. — With more than $2 million in funding already raised, the COVID-19 Response Fund of the Greater Evansville Region is now accepting applications from regional nonprofit organizations.

Funds will be distributed to nonprofit organizations currently in good standing with the IRS and whose service area includes Gibson, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick counties.

The fund will boost essential nonprofit services to those counties, according to Amy Canterbury, CEO of the United Way of Southwestern Indiana.

While United Way is a financial sponsor of the fund, applicants do not have to be agencies currently receiving a grant from United Way.

The response fund will support organizations which:

• Advance tactics that provide gap support (not duplicated Federal Programs) to those who are asset-limited, income-constrained and may be temporarily unemployed (ALICE);
• Sustain critical operations and levels of service that meet the basic needs of the vulnerable, at-risk, health care workers, and first responders (e.g., food, shelter and childcare);
• Support temporary staffing or volunteer mobilization efforts in response to the loss of the volunteer base critical to essential social services; or
• Encourage and champion a movement of neighbors caring for neighbors.

Distributions for the relief phase should begin within the next few weeks, according to Evansville Mayor Lloyd Winnecke's office.

The application process will be conducted online at covidresponsefund.com.

Further resources are available by visiting unitedwayswi.org/covid-19.

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A team of funding partners established the cross-sector, community-wide response fund on response to the COVID-19 crisis.

"While we don’t know how long this crisis will last, this response is designed to serve the community through the relief, recovery, and restoration phases typical of large-scale crises," said Noah Stubbs, director of communication for the mayor's office.

Information on how to donate can be found by visiting the covidresponsefund.com website.

Bill Stone, founder of SS&C Technologies, committed to match additional funds raised up to $500,000. As of Thursday, April 2, the total committed funds have reached $2,314,280, and $444,090 of Stone’s $500,000 has been matched.