2020 was a challenging year for many individuals, businesses, and nonprofit organizations in our community, our nation, and across the globe. Although we continue to experience changes in our daily lives due to the pandemic, one thing that has remained consistent is the generosity of our community and the support we show one another in times of need. The Community Foundation is fortunate to witness this first-hand.
- In 2020, more than 100 donors contributed to CFNLA’s COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund, raising over $220,000. More than $210,000 in grants from this fund assisted local organizations responding to the coronavirus pandemic.
- 5,599 donors raised over $1.98 million for 237 organizations during Give For Good, CFNLA’s annual online giving day.
- The Community Foundation awarded $2.9 million through its competitive grant process. This year, special care was taken to ensure organizations received the vital support needed due to lost revenue and/or additional costs resulting from COVID-19. CFNLA staff coordinated with applicants to assess each nonprofit’s needs and, in many cases, allowed applicants to amend funding requests.
- In November 2020, CFNLA issued a fundraising challenge to the entire community to raise $900,000 for the Early Childhood Education Fund. The Community Foundation will contribute the final $100,000, bringing the total to $1,000,000 raised. This fund will leverage state matching dollars so many more children ages 0 to 5 have access to quality early education. To date, over $330,000 has been raised for the fund.
In total, the Community Foundation issued over $7.7 million in grants and scholarships during 2020. Learn more about our grantmaking at cfnla.org/grants or dive deeper at cfnla.org/financials.