Burton D. Morgan Foundation Announces Grants to Address COVID-19 Crisis
Burton D. Morgan Foundation has awarded several grants to nonprofit organizations in Northeast Ohio to address the current health and economic crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 virus.
Foundation Trustees approved grant dollars in the amount of $120,000 for the Akron Summit County COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund. The fund was created through a partnership between United Way of Summit County, the City of Akron, the County of Summit, Akron Public Schools, the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank, Summit County Public Health, and Job and Family Services to provide support to those impacted by or fighting the coronavirus pandemic. Specifically, the fund provides food assistance; medical bill support; housing, rent and utility assistance; and childcare assistance to local residents. The fund has raised just over $1.2 million so far.
Morgan Foundation has made a grant of $50,000 to Hebrew Free Loan Association for a business loan fund that will supply emergency loans to small businesses in Northeast Ohio experiencing hardship due to COVID-19. Through this program, Northeast Ohio businesses can receive an interest-free loan of up to $5,000. Decisions on these loans are made within two days, with payments issued approximately three days later.
The Foundation has also awarded grants totaling $20,000 to help address the shortage of personal protective equipment for healthcare professionals in Ohio. Kent State University and Akron Makerspace have harnessed their resources to produce face shields and face masks, which are in short supply and desperately needed by health care workers. Morgan Foundation provided each with a grant of $10,000 to purchase supplies and equipment needed for this critical work.
Deborah Hoover, President of Morgan Foundation, commented, “The Foundation’s emergency grants seek to support our community through the provision of basic needs for families and protection of livelihoods generated by small business, all threatened by the wide-ranging impact of the growing pandemic. We believe it is an important role for philanthropy to step up in times of crisis to fill gaps and bolster the systems that help people cope with hardship.”
Morgan Foundation also provided a grant of $20,000 to Akron Community Foundation for the Community Response Fund for Nonprofits to help address emergency needs that arise in Summit and Medina counties related to the COVID-19 outbreak. The Fund was created to provide flexible resources to area nonprofit organizations that are working on the frontlines of educating, engaging, and supporting individuals impacted by COVID-19 and the broader ramifications of this health crisis. Additional grants were made to Wayne County Community Foundation ($10,000) and Hudson Community Foundation ($2,500) to support non-profit organizations serving their communities in this time of crisis.