How do you decide who benefits from federal emergency relief during this crisis when so many Broward residents are in dire need?
For example, do you:
- Help struggling families pay rent to avoid becoming homeless or train the unemployed for new jobs that get them back on their feet?
- Provide food for people who can’t afford groceries or help small businesses stay open so more people can keep their jobs?
The Community Foundation of Broward is using the power of collaboration to help answer difficult questions like these – and steer millions of dollars in aid where it’s needed the most.
As Broward County considers how to use $340 million in federal aid for local crisis relief, the Community Foundation has teamed with the Greater Fort Lauderdale Alliance to help recommend ways to create maximum community impact.
On June 15, the Community Foundation and the Alliance brought together representatives from more than 40 local nonprofits and community institutions for an online video conference to discuss potential uses for the relief money.
The Community Foundation organized and moderated the discussion that produced a variety of suggestions, such as:
- Housing help for those who lost jobs.
- More coronavirus testing and tracing to help slow the spread.
- Emergency payments to families struggling to pay for housing, food and other essentials.
- Support for hard-hit businesses.
- Programs to create new job opportunities.
- Childcare to help parents get back to work.
The next step involves gathering more feedback and then providing recommendations to county commissioners, who ultimately decide how to direct the federal relief. The $340 million must be used by the end of the year.
Forging dynamic collaborations to find tough solutions is one of the ways that the Community Foundation’s leadership and expertise helps Broward face the coronavirus.
In addition, the Community Foundation has already provided about $2 million in immediate coronavirus response. That includes new grants as well as easing restrictions on existing grants so local nonprofits can pivot to tackle residents’ greatest challenges. This provides relief for seniors, the disabled, victims of domestic violence and residents who recently lost jobs.
This crucial support is made possible by visionary local philanthropists who have created endowed charitable Funds at the Community Foundation. And this is just the start.
The ripple effects of the coronavirus on our residents are still unfolding and will be with us for years. Because endowed charitable Funds can last forever, the Community Foundation has nimble resources to deliver long-term solutions.
When government support is used up and other relief efforts fade away, the Community Foundation will still be here for Broward.
“We are going to have a tremendous issue on our hands for a long time,” said Community Foundation Vice President Sheri Brown, who led the recent coronavirus response video conference. “At the Community Foundation, we are in this for the long haul.”
For more information about creating an endowed charitable Fund, contact Vice President of Philanthropic Services Nancy Thies at nthies@cfbroward.org or 954-761-9503.
