Main Street Community Foundation has now granted more than $1 million into the local communities to support COVID-19 response and recovery. Since March 2020, over 100 grants have been awarded to nonprofit organizations to support emerging needs in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For a full list of grants awarded, visit mainstreetfoundation.org/covid19-response-grants.

“There was a significant increase in the demand for nonprofit’s services and a simultaneous decrease in both program and fundraising revenue – our residents needed our help to ensure they continued to have access to food, health care, housing and other assistance,” stated Susan Sadecki, President & CEO of MSCF. “These were the most transformative grants that MSCF has ever awarded.”

The grants were awarded through several funds at MSCF as well as the COVID-19 Response Fund, which was established in March 2020 and built by the community, garnering donations from individuals, businesses, donor advised funds and private foundations.

“The Foundation has only been able to respond in the way it has due to the generosity of our donors,” stated Sadecki.

MSCF provided grants from the COVID-19 Response Fund in three phases:

• the first phase provided rapid response grants to nonprofits to meet the basic needs of residents;
• the second phase awarded general operating support grants to local nonprofits; and
• the third phase provided grants that built capacity and strengthened recovery efforts related to the pandemic.

Additional funding decisions will be made until all funds raised for the COVID-19 Response Fund have been dispersed. Moreover, grants from other funds at MSCF will continue to support recovery efforts.