Rose Community Foundation

Jul 09, 2020

Rose Community Foundation Awards Over $4.1 Million in Second Phase of COVID-19 Grantmaking

Denver, CO – In response to the ongoing health and economic implications of COVID-19 on the Greater Denver community, Rose Community Foundation and its fundholders awarded 395 grants totaling over $4.1 million in its second phase of COVID-19 grantmaking, bringing the Foundation’s COVID-19 grantmaking total thus far to more than $7 million over three months. The majority of new grants focused specifically on mitigating the pandemic’s mid-term and longer-term impacts on disproportionately affected populations, reflecting an organizational commitment to funding through an equity lens.

“Leveraging the Foundation’s own resources with those of our generous donors, enables us to meaningfully support COVID-19 response efforts throughout Metro Denver,” said Rose Community Foundation President and CEO Lindy Eichenbaum Lent. “The community needs exacerbated by the pandemic are varied, extensive and growing, and given the connections to pre-existing disparities, our strategies around support for COVID response, impact mitigation and recovery intersect with Rose Community Foundation’s focus on equity, justice and inclusion.”

Following an inclusive open application process, the Rose Community Foundation board and staff directed more than $2.76 million to 103 wide-ranging nonprofits and government agencies in the seven-county Greater Denver region. In addition to the Foundation’s longstanding support of local Jewish organizations, grant recipients serve populations that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic’s health and economic implications including communities of color, economically insecure individuals, immigrants, LGBTQ communities, people experiencing health disparities, people experiencing housing insecurity, people with disabilities and public assistance recipients. This funding is in addition to over $1.16 million in unsolicited, unrestricted grants made by the Foundation in May to longtime grantee partners such as the Center for African American Health, Colorado Coalition Against Hate, Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, Colorado Health Institute, and many more.

The Foundation’s donor-advised fundholders made 260 grants totaling over $1.24 million to local, statewide and national organizations during the funding cycle. For the first time, the Foundation invited fundholders to join in reviewing grant applications and aligning their grantmaking with the Foundation’s, leading to additional funding for 18 local organizations. Since COVID-related closures began in mid-March, more than half of the Foundation’s donor-advised fundholders have made grants through their funds, totaling over $1.7 million. This represents a roughly 300 percent increase over typical grantmaking this time of year.

Also included in the Foundation’s grantmaking were dollars contributed to Rose Community Foundation’s R.E.S.P.O.N.D. Fund, a dedicated fund for individuals and organizations interested in partnering with the Foundation in its equity-focused, multi-phase response to COVID-19. To date, 35 individual donors, donor-advised funds and private foundations have contributed over $588,000 to the R.E.S.P.O.N.D. Fund, including a generous gift from Lucy Ana and Ben Walton, whose support focused on investments in food systems, workforce and health, and enabled significantly more grantmaking to organizations serving the community in the midst of the pandemic.

Details about Rose Community Foundation’s second phase of COVID-19 response grant recipients and the services they provide are outlined below:

BACK TO WORK & JOB LOSS SUPPORT – Recognizing that COVID-19 has led to significant furloughs and layoffs, a combined $215,000 is granted to the following organizations that are providing re-training, up-skill training, job search/placement assistance, and childcare support:

BASIC NEEDS – To help address the economic impacts that COVID-19 has had on individuals and families, a combined $790,000 is granted to the following organizations that are providing assistance with rent, utilities, family economic stabilization and other basic-needs support:

HEALTH DISPARITIES & RACIAL JUSTICE – Because COVID-19 has exacerbated health disparities and disproportionately impacted communities of color, a combined $145,000 is granted to the following organizations that are supporting people of color, immigrants and refugees:

JEWISH LIFE – Given Rose Community Foundation’s longstanding support of – and partnership with – the Jewish community, a combined $881,500 is granted to the following organizations that are advancing community safety, health and wellness, and are sustaining and rebuilding COVID-impacted ritual and communal life for Jewish people in the Greater Denver region:

POLICY & ADVOCACY – Policy issues specific to COVID-19 will have a major impact on this grantmaking cycle’s priority populations, so a combined $130,000 is granted to the following organizations that are working to create more equitable and just outcomes for those most affected by the pandemic:

PUBLIC, MENTAL & BEHAVIORAL HEALTH & WELLNESS – Because COVID-19 has impacted public, mental and behavioral health and wellness, a combined $546,225 is granted to the following organizations that are offering wellness and public health services such as vaccinations and well-care screenings; mental health services such as telehealth counseling, therapy, case management, hotlines, mindfulness and physical activity; and behavioral health services:

VIRTUAL PROGRAMMING – Recognizing that COVID-19 has prevented the administration of certain in-person services and programs, a combined $55,000 is granted to the following organizations that are providing services and programs virtually:

POOLED FUNDS – The Foundation also granted $155,000 to five pooled funds. By leveraging dollars with other goal-aligned funders in key areas, the Foundation is able to strategically amplify its grantmaking impact:

DONOR-DIRECTED GRANTS – Rose Community Foundation’s donor-advised fundholders have continued to expand and accelerate their giving in response to the COVID-19 crisis and made 260 grants from April 3 to June 15, totaling over $1.24 million.

About Rose Community Foundation

Rose Community Foundation strives to advance inclusive, engaged and equitable Greater Denver communities through values-driven philanthropy. The Foundation envisions a thriving region strengthened by its diversity and generosity, and it utilizes the varied tools at its disposal – grantmaking, advocacy and philanthropic services – to advance this aspiration. Since its founding in 1995, the Foundation has granted more than $311 million to nearly 2,000 organizations and initiatives, including $44 million in facilitated grantmaking from donor-advised funds. The Foundation has also supported nearly 70 nonprofit organizations in creating and growing endowments to sustain their vital work into the future, currently stewarding $38 million in endowed assets. The Foundation has 270 million in total assets under management, with annual grantmaking of nearly $25 million.

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