Great Community Give Returns

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Great Community Give returns on April 21, 2021.  As Harrisonburg and Rockingham County’s community wide giving day, Great Community Give has had exceptional response as a one-day fundraising event in support of our area non-profit agencies. Eligible nonprofit organizations may start registering today, November 18th.

 

GCG 2020 organizers are encouraging nonprofit agencies to participate. We don’t want any eligible nonprofit organization to miss the opportunity to be part of this effort. If you are a volunteer, serve on a board or part of the staff and would like to register visit www.greatcommunitygive.org.  Nonprofit registration closes January 18, 2021.  For information contact Amanda Bomfim at 432-3863 or amanda@tcfhr.org.

Harrisonburg CARES Act Nonprofit Assistance – ROUND TWO application available

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Nonprofits serving Harrisonburg residents that missed out on the first round of City of Harrisonburg CARES Act nonprofit assistance program grants and still need support due to COVID-19’s impact on their opera­tions can now apply for round two of the program.

The City will accept funding requests in the area of Service Interruption. This program will provide funds to organizations that can demon­strate they have had to interrupt their services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

REQUIREMENTS

These funds will be available to nonprofit organizations who meet this criteria:

  • Are in good standing with the Virginia State Corporation Commission
  • Can provide proof of nonprofit status
  • Can provide a copy of its most recent IRS Form 990, Form 990-EZ, or 990-an
  • Can demonstrate their services have been affected by COVID-19
  • Can demonstrate that they serve Harrisonburg residents, even if headquarters is not located in Harrisonburg
  • Was not awarded funding in Round One of the CARES Act Nonprofit Assistance Program announced November 3 and November 4

Organizations may request up to a maximum of $50,000.

This funding can only be used to cover costs incurred between March 1, 2020 and December 30, 2020.  Revenue replacement is not a permissible use of funds. Revenue includes service fees, contributions, fundraising, investment returns or other sources of income that are part of the organization’s budget. The CARES Act coronavirus relief funding must be expended by December 30, 2020 and any unused funds must be returned to the City.

It is anticipated that funding awards will be announced on or about November 20, 2020. Upon award, organizations will be required to sign a certification or agreement regarding the organization’s understanding of the appropriate use of funds as it relates to spending requirements of the CARES Act coronavirus relief funds.

A list of Frequently Asked Questions and a registration link for the Friday, November 13th Information Session is available at: https://www.harrisonburgva.gov/non-profit-cares-act

Contact Amy Snider, Assistant to the City Manager, with any application questions at [email protected].

Deadline for applications is Monday, November 16 at 12:00PM. CLICK HERE for the application.

Rockingham County Cares Fund accepting applications

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The Rockingham County Cares Fund at The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County (TCFHR) was created for the purpose of supporting Rockingham County individuals and families via nonprofits by addressing necessary expenditures due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency. In June 2020, funding was made available to Rockingham County under section 601(a) of the Social Security Act, as added by section 5001 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES Act).

The CARES Act established the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) and appropriated $150 billion to distribute to States and certain local governments; the District of Columbia; U.S. Territories; and Tribal governments. The County granted a $250,000 portion of this funding to establish the Rockingham County Cares Fund to support local nonprofits via grants.

Grant Guidelines, Basic Eligibility & Timeline
The Rockingham County Cares Fund will provide grants, that meet eligibility criteria, to nonprofit organizations. Applications will be reviewed and, if approved, processed within one week of review. Grant applications will be accepted starting October 15, 2020. Applications will be reviewed by a committee of Rockingham County representatives. The last day to submit an application is October 28, 2020 at 5:00 pm.

Eligibility:

Grants are limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and groups fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are not, able to fund individuals or businesses directly, labor unions, or other 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5) and 501(c)(6) organizations.
• Have local leadership in the form of a board of directors or advisory committee, local financial support, and local program management and accountability.
• TCFHR honors the rich diversity of our community and promotes equal opportunities for all people. TCFHR supports organizations, projects and programs that do not illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other protected characteristics. TCFHR does not knowingly award grants to organizations that illegally discriminate in their hiring, those they accept as volunteers or the clients they serve.

Specific Requirements:

• Nonprofit organization must have a principal place of business located within or serving the County or with substantial activities occurring within Rockingham County, and with organizational missions and relief efforts focused on children’s services, and on basic needs such as utilities, shelter, food, and other COVID-19 relief efforts.
• Have been legally established 501c3 nonprofit organization as of February 2020.
• The CARES Act provides that funds may only be used to cover costs that: (1) Are necessary expenditures incurred due to the public health emergency with respect to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19); (2) Were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved as of March 27, 2020; and (3) Were incurred during the period that begins on March 1, 2020, and ends on December 30, 2020.
• If you have already received CARES Act funding, you are eligible to apply however you can not use a Rockingham County Cares Fund grant to support losses or expenses already covered by March 23rd CARES Act legislation that you already received.
• Applicants will be required to acknowledge and agree that the grant funds will be used only to reimburse expenses that were incurred due to the COVID-19 crisis. Applicants shall further acknowledge that if funds are not expended in a consistent manner, the funds are subject to be returned to TCFHR by December 30.
• Applicants must follow standard procedures and federal guidelines to ensure grants funds are distributed in a timely manner for designated purposes.
• Applicants must agree to submit reporting of all expenditures by January 15, 2021 to The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County who will then provide these reports to Rockingham County.

APPLICATION

 

Timeline:
• October 28, 2020 at 5pm – Application Due Date
• November 2, 2020 – Applications reviewed
• November 6, 2020 – Grant checks processed and mailed
• December 30, 2020 – All unused funds must be returned by NPO to TCFHR
• January 15, 2021 – Grant report on how funds were spent is due to TCFHR

 

Have questions?
Contact:
Ann Siciliano
Director of Program Services at TCFHR
[email protected]
540-432-3863

Harrisonburg CARES Act Nonprofit Assistance

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The City of Harrisonburg is allocating $900,000 for eligible nonprofit organizations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. This allocation is part of the federal funding made available to the city through the Commonwealth of Virginia from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

The City will accept funding requests through this application for:

  • Service Interruption:  This program will provide funds to organizations that can demonstrate they have had to interrupt their services due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Service Expansion Program:  This program will provide funds to organizations that demonstrate they have significantly expanded their services due to COVID-19 pandemic.

Contact Amy Snider, Assistant to the City Manager, with any application questions at [email protected].

REQUIREMENTS

These funds will be available to nonprofit organizations who meet this criteria:

  • Are in good standing with the Virginia State Corporation Commission
  • Can provide proof of nonprofit status
  • Can provide a copy of its most recent IRS Form 990, Form 990-EZ, or 990-an
  • Can demonstrate their services have been affected by COVID-19
  • Can demonstrate that they serve Harrisonburg residents, even if headquarters is not located in Harrisonburg

Organizations may apply for funding in two categories:  service interruption and/or new/expanded services. Organizations may request up to a maximum of $50,000, which may consist for example of $10,000 for service interruption and $40,000 for new/expanded services.

This funding can only be used to cover costs incurred between March 1, 2020 and December 30, 2020.  Revenue replacement is not a permissible use of funds. Revenue includes service fees, contributions, fundraising, investment returns or other sources of income that are part of the organiztion’s budget. The CARES Act coronavirus relief funding must be expended by December 30, 2020 and any unused funds must be returned to the City.

It is anticipated that funding awards will be announced on or about November 2, 2020. Upon award, organizations will be required to sign a certification or agreement regarding the organization’s understanding of the appropriate use of funds as it relates to spending requirements of the CARES Act coronavirus relief funds.

Deadline for applications is Monday, October 26 at 1:00PM. CLICK HERE for the application.

Harrisonburg CARES Fund accepting grant applications

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The Harrisonburg CARES Fund at The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County (TCFHR) was created for the purpose of supporting Harrisonburg City individuals and families via nonprofits by addressing necessary expenditures due to the ongoing COVID-19 public health emergency.

In June 2020, funding was made available to the City of Harrisonburg under section 601(a) of the Social Security Act, as added by section 5001 of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES Act). The CARES Act established the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) and appropriated $150 billion to distribute to States and certain local governments; the District of Columbia; U.S. Territories; and Tribal governments. The City granted a $250,000 portion of this funding to establish the Harrisonburg CARES Fund to support local nonprofits via grants.

The Harrisonburg CARES Fund will provide grants, that meet eligibility criteria, to nonprofit organizations. Applications will be reviewed and, if approved, processed within one week of review. Grant applications will be accepted starting September 17, 2020. Applications will be reviewed by The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County and The United Way of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County.

Grant Guidelines, Basic Eligibility & Timeline
The Harrisonburg CARES Fund will provide grants, that meet eligibility criteria, to nonprofit organizations. Applications will be reviewed and, if approved, processed within one week of review. Grant applications will be accepted starting September 17, 2020. Applications will be reviewed by The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County and The United Way of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County.

Nonprofit organization must have a principal place of business located within or serving the City or with substantial activities occurring within the City of Harrisonburg and with organizational missions and relief efforts focused on the areas of food, utilities, childcare, and may support other COVID-19 relief efforts. Nonprofits must have been a legally established 501c3 nonprofit organization as of February 2020.

The first deadline for applications is September 24, 2020 at 5:00pm. Grant applications will be reviewed on September 28, and if necessary, on October 19.

Eligiblity

• Grants are limited to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations and groups fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We are not, able to fund individuals or businesses directly, labor unions, or other 501(c)(4), 501(c)(5) and 501(c)(6) organizations.
• Have local leadership in the form of a board of directors or advisory committee, local financial support, and local program management and accountability.
• TCFHR honors the rich diversity of our community and promotes equal opportunities for all people. TCFHR supports organizations, projects and programs that do not illegally discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability or any other protected characteristics. TCFHR does not knowingly award grants to organizations that illegally discriminate in their hiring, those they accept as volunteers or the clients they serve.

Application

To apply, download the APPLICATION and submit to [email protected] by the September 24th deadline.

Animal Welfare & Mental Health Grant Applications Available

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The Hildred Neff Memorial Fund grants are awarded annually through a competitive application process. Hildred Neff was born in Rockingham County and lived locally her entire life. She loved animals and was especially fond of cats. Ms. Neff left her estate to create a permanently endowed fund to benefit nonprofit agencies that provide for the needs of both domestic and wild animals. Grant awards range from $1,000 to $15,000. The 2020 Hildred Neff Memorial Fund grant application deadline is Monday, August 17 at midnight.

 

The Sean Warner Memorial Endowment Fund was established by Mark and Susan Warner to honor the memory of their son by helping other children. This fund was created to contribute to general charitable purposes within the area of emotional support services for children of divorced parents. The 2020 award will be approximately $450. Nonprofit organizations in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County community may apply. The 2020 Sean Warner Memorial Fund grant application deadline for this annual grant award is Monday, August 17 at midnight.

 

Grants will be awarded in September. Please contact The Community Foundation at 540-432-3863, or [email protected], with application or eligibility questions.

 

Community Needs Grant Application Available

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The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County would like to announce that the 2020 Community Needs application cycle is now OPEN!

 

An organization may apply each calendar year. Funding decisions are made by individual private donors, private foundations, and civic organizations. In November of each year, applications are considered for funding from the Community Endowment and the Valley Arts & Culture Fund. Currently grant funding from these endowments range from $600 to over $6,000.

The Community Foundation partners with the Daily News-Record to publish a booklet of the Community Needs projects. This booklet will feature a summary of your project and will include a project description, basic financial information from your organization’s 990, and other needs of your organization. This publication will be included in a November edition of the DN-R with a distribution of 15,000 readers.

 

Organizations must be tax-exempt public charities under IRS Section 501(c)3 or other nonprofit status. Organizations must be physically located in Harrisonburg or Rockingham County, and the project or program to be funded must serve the local area. Religious organizations are welcome to apply if the project will significantly aid the broader community. Schools are not eligible to apply. Please call TCFHR if you have questions regarding eligibility before applying. Grants are made without regard to factors of gender, race, religion, national origin, or sexual orientation.

Applicants will be required to provide information to TCFHR program staff once a project featured in this grant application has been fully funded.

 

The DEADLINE for application submissions is October 1, 2020 5:00PM ET. The link to the application form is HERE: 2020 Community Needs Application.

 

For any questions, please contact me via email – [email protected] or phone – (540)432-3863.

Rebuild! VA

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The Rebuild VA Grant Fund is a program to help small businesses and non-profits whose normal operations were disrupted by COVID-19, including restaurants, brick and mortar retail, exercise and fitness facilities, personal care and personal grooming services, entertainment and public amusement establishments, and campgrounds.

Businesses and non-profits that are approved for a Rebuild VA grant may receive up to 3 times their average monthly eligible expenses up to a maximum of $10,000.

THE APPLICATION WILL BE AVAILABLE STARTING ON AUGUST 10, 2020

Who is eligible for the grant?

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  1. The business or non-profit must be organized as one of the following:
    • Corporation (C-Corp), pass through entity (S-Corp, Partnership, LLC) , or other legal entity that is organized separately from the owner;
    • A 501(c)(3) organization or 501(c)(19) veterans organization;
    • A sole proprietorship; or
    • An independent contractor.
  2. The business or non-profit must also fall within one of the following businesses categories:
    • Restaurant and Beverage Services
      Restaurants, dining establishments, food courts, breweries, microbreweries, cideries, distilleries, wineries, tasting rooms, and farmers markets (or vendors within the farmers market)
    • Non-essential Brick and Mortar Retail
      Non-essential brick and mortar retail establishments include everything EXCEPT the following:

      • Grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retailers that sell food and beverage products or pharmacy products, including dollar stores, and department stores with grocery or pharmacy operations;
      • Medical, laboratory, and vision supply retailers;
      • Electronic retailers that sell or service cell phones, computers, tablets, and other communications technology;
      • Automotive parts, accessories, and tire retailers as well as automotive repair facilities;
      • Home improvement, hardware, building material, and building supply retailers;
      • Lawn and garden equipment retailers;
      • Beer, wine, and liquor stores;
      • Retail functions of gas stations and convenience stores;
      • Retail located within healthcare facilities;
      • Banks and other financial institutions with retail functions;
      • Pet and feed stores;
      • Printing and office supply stores; and
      • Laundromats and dry cleaners.
    • Fitness and Exercise Facilities
      Fitness centers, gymnasiums, recreation centers, swimming pools, indoor sports facilities, and indoor exercise facilities
    • Personal Care and Personal Grooming Services
      Beauty salons, barbershops, spas, massage practices, tanning salons, tattoo shops, and any other location where personal care or personal grooming services are performed
    • Entertainment and Public Amusement
      Theaters, performing arts centers, concert venues, museums, racetracks, historic horse racing facilities, bowling alleys, skating rinks, arcades, amusement parks, trampoline parks, fairs, arts and craft facilities, aquariums, zoos, escape rooms, indoor shooting ranges, public and private social clubs
    • Private Campgrounds and Overnight Summer Camps
  3. The business or non-profit must meet the following additional eligibility criteria:
    • Principal Place of Business is in Virginia
    • 25 or fewer employees
    • Gross revenue of less than $1.5 million in the last fiscal year
    • Operating prior to March 12, 2020
    • Currently in good standing with the Virginia State Corporation Commission
    • The applicant must engage in legal activity

The following applicants are ineligible for the Rebuild VA grant funds:

  • Applicants that are not individually owned and operated
  • Applicants that have already received CARES Act funding from any federal, state, regional or local agency or authority
  • Applicants that are delinquent on Virginia state income taxes and do not have a payment plan in place
  • Applicants that are lobbyists
  • An applicant, owner, or a principal of the business with 20 percent or greater ownership interest is more than sixty (60) days delinquent on child support obligations

Watch this video to learn more about how about Rebuild! VA.

The Rebuild VA grant will aid businesses whose normal operations were disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The statewide program is capitalized with $70 million dollars, which will allow for assistance for approximately 7,000 applicants. These sessions will go over the eligibility requirements and documentation needed to apply when the application opens on August 10th.

Register for one of these webinars: How to Apply
– July 31st 12:00 noon
– Aug 4th 9:00 am
– Aug 4th 5:30 pm

Another Anonymous Donor Challenges Donations for COVID-19 Fund

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The Community Foundation and The United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County are pleased to announce a second anonymous gift of $20,000 from a generous community member. The donor states, “Now is the time to give to support members of our community who have lost their jobs and don’t have a savings account to fall back on”. The donor encourages others to give and is offering this gift as a challenge. The donor will provide a dollar for dollar match, up to $20,000 for new gifts given to the COVID-19 Harrisonburg Rockingham Community Response Fund which means this could be an additional $40,000 to this Fund. The Community Foundation received and met its first $20,000 challenge from another generous anonymous donor. With both of these gifts, an additional $80,000 can be raised for our community.

“We are very grateful to both anonymous gifts and for each contribution that has helped us exceed the first challenge. To date the funding has been granted to local nonprofit organizations that are focused on basic essentials, access to food and access to safe shelter.  It has provided funding for nutrition drinks for the elderly, food supplies for those in need, vehicle repairs and gas cards for working low income individuals, hygiene items, rent assistance, and financial assistance to shelters for hotel bills for clients who need to be quarantined.” – Revlan Hill, Executive Director of The Community Foundation.

The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County and the United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County announced a joint partnership to raise funds for the COVID-19 Harrisonburg Rockingham Community Response Fund. Gifts may be mailed to The Community Foundation at PO Box 1068, Harrisonburg, VA 22803, or given online at www.tcfhr.org.

$20,000 Challenge from Anonymous Donor

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The Community Foundation announced $20,000 challenge from anonymous donor.

The Community Foundation has a fund holder that will provide a dollar for dollar match, up to $20,000 for new gifts given to the COVID-19 HR Community Response Fund which means this could be an additional $40,000 to this new Fund. We are very excited to share this news with the community and encourage everyone to consider giving to raise an additional $40,000 to the Fund.

When asked, why did you give to this Fund, an anonymous donor responded, “The need is great and there are a lot of people out there that don’t have the luxury to have savings to live on. We just wanted to help the community and challenge people to give to the COVID-19 Fund to help people who are hurting through no fault of their own”. They continue, “The reason we are doing the challenge is to get other people who are financially able to step up and assist the rest of the community”.

About a week ago, The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County and the United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County announced a joint partnership to raise funds for the COVID-19 HR Community Response Fund.  To date over $180,000 has been raised. This Fund will provide funding to community based nonprofit organizations that provide access to food and safe shelter. The first phase of funding will be sent out as early as this week.