Update to Nonprofits About Our Work Supporting Our Community During the Coronavirus Outbreak

by | Mar 18, 2020 | Covid-19

To Our Nonprofit Stakeholders,

The values and connections that make us greater together are as important as ever as our community copes with the effects of coronavirus/COVID-19 on our way of life. As we have for 25 years, the Community Foundation of Dunn County will continue to serve our local community in these demanding times, though we all understand that for the moment, service may not look entirely the same.

We would like to share the following information to our Nonprofit Partners who serve Dunn County and who are working diligently to deal with this crisis:

OUR OFFICES

Social distancing is a primary way to help curb the spread of the virus. Many of our donors fall into the category of persons most at risk for life-threatening exposure.  In addition, everyone here has loved ones who could be impacted by exposure to the virus.

Therefore:

  • All in-person meetings have been cancelled and as of tomorrow our offices are closed to the public but we will continue to be available to help our Fund Holders, donors and nonprofits make important decisions – either via telephone at 715-232-8019 or e-mail.

Georgina Tegart, Executive Director, gtegart@cfdunncounty.org
 Samantha Phillipps, Grants and Scholarships, sphillipps@cfdunncounty.org
 Julie Bendel, Stewardship, jbendel@cfdunncounty.org
 Laura Giammattei, Media Communications, lgiammattei@cfdunncounty.org
Liz Forster, Development, lforster@cfdunncounty.org

  • The Foundation will not host or convene meetings of any size that involve inviting guests into our offices and gathering space.
  • Should our offices close, we are ready to work remotely to serve you! Foundation staff will have remote access to our donor, grant and accounting software and files, can receive our phone calls on our cellphones and will be available to check voicemail. We can also of course be reached by email.

OUR OFFICE MOVE

  • We are excited to share that when we see you next, it will be in our new offices just down the street. Our new address is 800 Wilson Street, Suite 235. However, most communication, checks and other documents should be mailed to The Community Foundation of Dunn County, PO Box 498, Menomonie, WI 54751.
  • Rest assured, business of the foundation will continue to be managed as: contributions and pledges will be received and processed; grants, scholarships and other disbursements will be sent; new funds may be set up and allocated to serve emergency needs; and contact information will be to resources for community needs. We will continue to serve the needs of our community in this transition time.

EVENTS & MEETINGS

  • We are canceling all Foundation led or sponsored events, including donor, grantee and community events through May 15. We will re-evaluate May and June events on an ongoing basis and we will reschedule as many events as possible. We will continue to monitor the situation carefully and are working to determine the best course of action.

The following upcoming events are cancelled:

  • Open House at our new offices on April 15 at the Dunn County Government Center
  • WCG Membership Meeting on April 22 at Jake’s Supper Club
  • The CFDC Annual Luncheon on April 30 at the Off Broadway Banquet Center

THE FOUNDATION IS FINANCIALLY SOUND

Foundation investment strategies are designed for long-term growth, the mitigation of market losses and the probability of thriving upon a return to market stability.

OUR GRANT AWARDEES

Because of this unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, we know many nonprofit organizations are struggling financially and are unable to run business as usual—including grant-funded programs. For this reason, the Community Foundation is extending the May 9th Grant Report deadline for CFDC grants received through our February 2019 deadline. February Grantees can now submit their grant reports until Friday, August 7th with no effect on their eligibility for future granting. August Grant Reports will remain due in September 2020 as planned.

If any February or August 2019 grantees have unspent grant funds that can’t be used for their original purposes due to restrictions on social gatherings, or if they now have more urgent funding needs, they can contact Sam Phillipps at grants@cfdunncounty.org to discuss possibly re-directing the remaining funds.

These exceptions are intended as short-term efforts to reduce stress on our grantees and are NOT intended to establish a precedent.

WHAT WE ARE DOING TO HELP

  • Foundation donors can support nonprofits important to them through grants from their donor advised funds immediately. We have speeded up our process to make sure Donor Advised Fundholders can recommend grants and quickly and smoothly. If you know a donor advised fund holder encourage them to contact the Foundation to recommend a grant.
  • The Foundation is in the process of reaching out to our nonprofit partners to better understand the impact COVID-19 is having, which will inform the development of tools, resources and practices to help.
  • The Foundation is collaborating with the Eau Claire Foundation, Community Foundation of Chippewa County, United Way of the Greater Chippewa Valley, United Way of Dunn County and our local area’s private foundations to meet the needs of our area nonprofits. We recognize that the pandemic is causing a range of needs in our county, and our team is already at work identifying the appropriate roles the Foundation should play and how we can best support our community.

RESOURCES WE HOPE YOU FIND USEFUL

The following resources may help you navigate the challenges of COVID-19 and provide you with ways that you and your organization can help your community during this crisis: 

GRANT FUNDS THAT MAY BE AVAILABLE

  1. The Otto Bremer Trust has created a $50 million emergency fund to support nonprofits and community organizations in  Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota.. The new fund will provide emergency funding, loans, lines of credit, and other financial resources to organizations impacted by and responding to the COVID-19 outbreak. More details about the fund will be posted to OBT’s website, www.ottobremer.org, as well as shared directly to community organizations.
  2. The Eau Claire Community Foundation has established a “Quick Response Community Fund.” These dollars will support an emergency operational grant cycle for local nonprofits, especially those that are suddenly facing increased demand for their services because they support basic needs like food and health care. If you serve their area you may be eligible to apply.
  3. Marshfield Clinic Health System and Security Health Plan have established the Marshfield Clinic Health System/Security Health Plan COVID-19 Community Support Fund. The purpose of the fund is to provide financial resources quickly and easily to local community organizations who can help “flatten the curve” by addressing local needs and issues associated with coronavirus.  Please follow this link to see more information about the COVID-19 Community Support Fund: https://communityhealth.marshfieldclinic.org/Community-Investments. If you have any questions email communityhealthgrant@marshfieldclinic.org.

We will continue to update this list as we receive notifications in the coming days and weeks. 

FOUNDATION STAFF ARE AVAILABLE TO SERVE 

  • Contact those with whom you have an existing relationship by phone or email.
  • Email info@cfdunncounty.org with questions or other ways to help.

Thank you for your patience in the coming days. Take care of your family and friends in this difficult time. Discover strength’s you didn’t know you had, learn something new, or make it an adventure. If you need help, please reach out to us or others. 

Thank you to all in our community who have been leading by excellent example and working diligently to preserve the well-being of our county and beyond.

The Board of Directors and Staff of the Community Foundation of Dunn County