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New fund to help state nonprofits cover COVID-19 costs

Gov. John Carney announces a $25 million dollar Delaware Nonprofit Support Fund, with the goal of helping organizations that provided critical services during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

 

The state is using $20 million of its federal CARES funding on the program, while New Castle County contributes $5 million.

The effort offers two different funding opportunities for nonprofits.

The first is a reimbursement for operational expenses incurred because of COVID-19 like PPE costs and technology. The United of Delaware administers this part.

The second is a grant to cover the costs of increased caseloads due to the pandemic.  The Delaware Community Foundation and Philanthropy Delaware oversees this piece.

Sheila Bravo with the Delaware Alliance for Nonprofit Advancement explains how this helps.

"Nonprofit organizations in the state had to dramatically adjust their operating models to continue to serve their clients and in some cases their caseloads grew exponentially as a result of the pandemic and the economic crisis," said Bravo."And these changes resulted in staggering operational costs for PPE, for technology, professional disinfecting services, and all this while working remotely."

Reimbursement levels are scaled based on the nonprofits operating budget size, and they’re for expenses incurred through the end of this calendar year.

"Delaware is blessed to have so many great nonprofits. Some are large and some are small as we heard," said United Way of Delaware President and Chief Executive Officer Michelle Taylor. "The United Way of Delaware wants to ensure that every nonprofit regardless of size has equitable access to the available funds through this program and we'll be working with our partners at DANA, Philanthropy Delaware, and DCF to make sure that happens."

 

Joe brings over 20 years of experience in news and radio to Delaware Public Media and the All Things Considered host position. He joined DPM in November 2019 as a reporter and fill-in ATC host after six years as a reporter and anchor at commercial radio stations in New Castle and Sussex Counties.