Montgomery County United Fund, in partnership with United Way of Greater Lafayette, is pleased to announce that it will receive a second COVID-19 Economic Relief Initiative grant for $112,525 from Indiana United Ways, the state professional association of which MCUF is a member. The grant will be used to support our community in meeting basic human needs brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The grant is one of 47 grants that Indiana United Ways is making to member organizations and community foundations through the initiative, which was made possible by funding Indiana United Ways received from Lilly Endowment Inc.
“Montgomery County United Fund has been a key convener and coordinator of our community’s response to meet human needs for decades. Even before this crisis, we knew that 24% of families in Montgomery County were not able to make ends meet — despite working. In the wake of COVID, those needs became even more dire. Thanks to the generous, continued support of Lilly Endowment to our State Association, we can continue to help our community, through nonprofit partners, deal with and hopefully resolve the impacts of this trying time,” said MCUF director Gina Haile.
The second COVID-19 Economic Relief Initiative grant again calls for United Ways that receive funding to leverage partnerships and relationships to better meet COVID-related basic needs aligned with the social determinants of health as defined by the CDC. Specifically, MCUF plans to rapidly deploy resources to local nonprofit organizations that are offering emergency relief to families and individuals in need and to those who are looking for innovative means to provide support networks for those who need them the most.
MCUF will begin accepting funding requests from area human and social service nonprofits whose IRS designation is in good standing beginning today. Interested organizations should consult Montgomery County United Fund’s website or contact our office for guidance on funding intent and application instructions.
In April 2020, Lilly Endowment helped Indiana United Ways establish the COVID-19 Economic Relief Initiative with an initial $30 million grant. Lilly Endowment made an additional $15 million grant in March to Indiana United Ways to support the initiative. Both grants are part of Lilly Endowment’s overall grantmaking to help organizations meet COVID-related needs. Since March 2020, Lilly Endowment has made grants totaling more than $210 million to organizations working in Indiana and across the nation as they respond to the pandemic.
