SAN ANTONIO – The city’s local nonprofit organizations have teamed up to create a COVID-19 response fund to help fight the coronavirus pandemic, a press release said.
The San Antonio Area Foundation along with the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County and the City of San Antonio, will use the fund to help support nonprofits serving the community that are disproportionately and negatively affected by the health, economic, education, housing and social impacts of the coronavirus outbreak.
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COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.
“This fund will support trusted nonprofit leaders and providers in our community to quickly address the most pressing local needs,” said Marjie French, CEO for the Area Foundation. “Our goal is to provide grants immediately and then on an ongoing basis to cover both acute urgent needs and longer term recovery. I am deeply thankful for the caring spirit of our philanthropic community and the generous partners who have joined us at this important time in our community’s history.”
The fund is valued at over $2.7 million, and its partners are growing exponentially, the press release said. The Area Foundation is hosting the fund, waiving administrative fees, and encouraging businesses and philanthropic partners to join in the response.
The press release said the fund will provide grants to local nonprofits addressing five key areas: the economic impact of reduced and lost work due to the broader coronavirus outbreak; the immediate needs of economically vulnerable populations caused by COVID-19 related closures; increased demand for medical information and support; fear and confusion about the outbreak amongst our most vulnerable residents; and resources available for families of school-aged children.
Grants will be provided on a rolling basis to ensure dollars are deployed in the community quickly and responsively.
“Supporting our community through these challenging times is at the heart of the work we do every day at the United Way,” said Chris Martin, CEO for the United Way of San Antonio and Bexar County. “Strengthening the infrastructure of our nonprofit network is critical to the immediate response and longer-term recovery for our community's children, individuals and families."
The Bexar County, 80|20 Foundation, Tobin Endowment, Greehey Family Foundation, Kronkosky Charitable Foundation, Wells Fargo, Mays Family Foundation, JPMorgan Chase, & Co., Bank of San Antonio, John L. Santikos Charitable Foundation, NuStar Energy, H. E. Butt Foundation, and Harvey E. Najim and the Najim Charitable Foundation are all also taking part.
“The COVID-19 Response Fund is a perfect vehicle for combining efforts to help the community when it matters the most,” said Mayor Ron Nirenberg. “I am grateful to the organizations that launched this effort, and I encourage everyone to participate. The fund is a way to truly make a difference in lives disrupted.”
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