Mayor Leirion Gaylor Baird today announced that $60,500 from the Lincoln COVID-19 Response Fund was awarded to three nonprofit organizations serving those affected by the pandemic – Bryan Health, the Food Bank of Lincoln, and the Nebraska Health Care Foundation.
This is the sixth round of grants from the Fund, and a total of $729,000 has been granted to 51 nonprofit organizations so far.
The Fund, hosted by the Lincoln Community Foundation (LCF), was announced March 20. To date, the Fund has received $1,065,001 in contributions, including $500,000 from strategic partners. The Fund was created to provide grants to nonprofits that support people disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
“These grants will feed those who are hungry and support healthcare workers on the frontlines as they provide care to our sick and at-risk community members,” said Mayor Gaylor Baird. “Thank you to all who so generously have contributed time and resources to meet this moment of unprecedented need. Lincoln’s COVID-19 Response Fund is still accepting contributions of any size – if you are fortunate enough to help the less fortunate, please consider a gift that will truly make a difference.”
Grant recipients are identified by a committee including the City, LCF, the United Way of Lincoln and Lancaster County, the Lincoln Partnership for Economic Development (LPED), the Community Health Endowment (CHE), and other philanthropic and business partners. The committee is led by a committee chaired by Bryan Seck, Director of Workforce Development for LPED. Meagan Liesveld, Executive Director of the United Way serves as Vice Chair.
“We need to support our friends and neighbors who are working the frontlines in confronting the realities of this pandemic,” said Barbara Bartle, LCF President. “Our nonprofits are where people turn to first, so we need to ensure they’re able to answer that call. Thank you, Lincoln, for your generous ‘community helping hand.’”
To make it possible to move resources quickly and adapt to evolving needs, the Fund will continue to award operating grants on a rolling basis as fundraising continues. The Fund is designed to complement the work of public health officials and expand local capacity to address all aspects of the pandemic as efficiently as possible.