Coleman Foundation COVID-19 Relief Update
The Coleman Foundation is committed to supporting our grantees and Chicago area residents during the pandemic. We are grateful for the Foundation’s resources and humbled by the responsibility to steward them to areas of greatest need. We continue to engage with our grantee communities, listen to emerging needs in the sectors that we fund, and provide assistance where we can. So far, we are funding three COVID-19 relief initiatives.
1. Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund
We are pleased to be a founding member of the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund (CCCRF) which is a collaborative effort launched by The Chicago Community Trust and the United Way of Metro Chicago, in partnership with the City of Chicago. The CCCRF rapidly deploys resources to local nonprofit organizations challenged by the COVID-19 pandemic. This effort, supported by pledges from Foundations, Corporations, and Individuals has raised $26.3 million and has funded 138 nonprofit organizations. Grantmaking is being managed by United Way of Metro Chicago and The Chicago Community Trust. Click here for more information.
2. Emergency Grants to Developmental Disabilities Service Organizations
The Coleman Foundation made emergency grants to 22 organizations that serve individuals with developmental disabilities. These organizations have had to pivot to adjust care and staffing to keep clients and staff safe. After the State of Illinois mandated closure of community day program services, group homes integrated into communities where people with disabilities live have incurred significant challenges and additional expenses. For example, they have to obtain personal protective equipment, adjust staffing, and increase staff compensation to keep residents supervised or supported, fed, and safe during this pandemic. <READ MORE>
3. Matching Grant Challenge for 80 Grantees
The Coleman Foundation has been providing matching grants during the Giving Tuesday fundraising season for several years. Eighty grantees are participating in the new COVID-19 Matching Grant Program. These grantees are reaching out to supporters for assistance during this time of need, and The Coleman Foundation is helping to catalyze greater community response by providing matching opportunities. <READ MORE>
