Phase 4 Grant Opens for Untied Way of Monroe County COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund

United Way of Monroe County announced today the Phase 4 COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund grant application will open to Monroe County nonprofit organizations on Monday, November 2 at 8 a.m.

The COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund was launched in March 2020 in response to the emerging needs that were brought forward during the COVID-19 pandemic. Since then, the Fund has granted more than $1,391,552 to groups and nonprofits serving families hardest hit by the pandemic with the top funding needs being food security, safe shelter and housing, childcare, and health and safety.

“Availability of this funding allowed us to take on the responsibility for serving additional programs like Meals on Wheels without fear about how we could handle or sustain them,” said Vicki Pierce, Executive Director of Community Kitchen. “United Way funding allowed us to move forward with meeting needs."

Phase 4 will be granting $208,000 to nonprofit organizations serving our community. Like Phase 3, it will focus on rebuilding our community and charting a course toward a better normal, in which racial and economic disparities are addressed and in which every person has equal access to opportunities. Grants will be awarded to nonprofit organizations contributing toward rebuilding our community following the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on resilience: 

1. Resilient Individuals – programs and activities which build healthy interpersonal relationships, productive coping mechanisms, and peaceful conflict management so that individuals are better prepared to take advantage of life’s opportunities. Examples of eligible activities include evidence-based programs, services, technical assistance, or training centered on self-esteem building, conflict resolution skill-building, mentorship, prevention/intervention activities, coping and pain management, suicide prevention, life skills, empowerment for parents, addiction recovery, and more. 
   
2. Resilient Community – programs and activities which assure that community members engage strong support networks to more effectively navigate or mitigate hardship. ​Examples of eligible activities include evidence-based programs, services, technical assistance, or training centered on neighborhood/peer connections, issues-based coalitions and task forces, and volunteer engagement.
   
3. Resilient Safety Net – programs and activities which support individuals’ basic physiological and safety needs. Examples include programs and services addressing food and nutrition, housing and shelter, basic life skills, transportation alternatives, childcare and early education, work preparedness, poverty and economic stability interventions, mental and physical health care for vulnerable populations, legal services, and emergency response services.
   

Human service organizations serving Monroe County may apply for Phase 4 funding beginning Monday, November 2 at 8 a.m. via the grant portal at www.monroeunitedway.org/COVIDRelief. The deadline to apply is Friday, November 13 at 5 p.m. Organizations selected for funding will be notified by the end of the day on Friday, November 20.

Organizations serving Brown, Greene, or Owen counties should contact their respective community foundation for information on the application process to receive funds. Links can be found at www.monroeunitedway.org/COVIDRelief.

In Monroe County, a committee including representatives from the Bloomington Health Foundation, City of Bloomington, Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, Indiana University, Monroe County Government, and United Way of Monroe County will continue to support local administration of the funding.

“As we move forward and continue rebuilding from the initial and ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Efrat Feferman, Executive Director of United Way of Monroe County. “Phase 4 grants will help assure that we are focused on our community’s resilience. These critical grants will help us continue to reimagine a new normal, rather than returning to a normal that was not working for everyone.”

COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund supporters include BKD CPA’s and Advisors, Bloomington Elks #446, Bloomington Health Foundation, Bloomington Sunrise Rotary, Bloomington Township, Blueline, Boston Scientific, Buskirk-Chumley Theater, City of Bloomington, Community Foundation of Bloomington and Monroe County, Cook Medical, Duke Energy, Etch Clothing Co., First Financial Bank, First United Church, First United Methodist Church, Hoosier Energy, Indiana United Ways, IU Credit Union, IU Credit Union Volunteer Board of Directors, Ivy Tech Foundation, Kappa Kappa Kappa Alpha Chapter, Lilly Endowment, Inc., Monroe County Government, Old National Bank, Owen County State Bank, Perry Township, Private Individuals, Renaissance Rentals, Salesforce, Smithville Charitable Foundation, Susan Yeley Homes, Tim Ellis Realtors, Truist Foundation, United Way of Monroe County, United Way Worldwide, University Tees, and Van Buren Township. 
 
Local Resources 
Individuals in need of services including food, shelter, childcare, financial assistance, and more are encouraged to search www.helpingbloomingtonmonroe.org or to call  
2-1-1 to connect to the right help.

Community-wide resources and updates are centralized at  
www.monroecountycovid-19.org by the Greater Bloomington Chamber of Commerce in partnership with a cross-sector coalition of partners.

Individuals may text COVIDRELIEF2020 to 44-321or visit www.monroeunitedway.org/COVIDRelief to make a contribution to the Emergency Relief Fund.