United Way of Monroe County will receive a second COVID-19 Economic Initiative Grant worth $615,960 from Indiana United Ways, according to a press release Monday.
The grant, made up of funds Indiana United Ways received from Lilly Endowment Inc., is one of 47 Indiana United Ways is distributing to member organizations and community foundations through the COVID-19 Economic Relief Initiative, according to the release.
United Way of Monroe County will allocate portions of the grants to area community foundations, with $22,658 going to the Brown County Community Foundation, $95,209 going to the Greene County Foundation and $62,008 going to the Owen County Community Foundation. Agencies in each county interested in applying for funding should contact their respective community foundation, according to the release.
The COVID-19 Economic Relief Initiative was established by Indiana United Ways with an initial $30 million grant from Lilly Endowment in April 2020. The initiative was supported by an additional $15 million grant in March, according to the release.
Jerry Sutherlin, the Board President for United Way of Monroe County, thanked the Lilly Endowment for its support of Indiana United Ways in the release.
“Even before this crisis, we knew that nearly half of our local households were struggling. one in five were in full-blown poverty and an additional quarter of families in Monroe, Owen, and Greene counties were teetering dangerously above the poverty line. In the wake of COVID, those needs became even more dire,” Sutherlin said in the release.
The grant calls on those that receive funds to leverage their partnerships and relationships to best meet COVID-19 related basic needs “aligned with the social determinants of health as defined by the CDC,” according to the release. The social determinants of health are the conditions in places people live, work, learn and play that affect an individual’s health and quality of life, according to the CDC’s website.
United Way of Monroe County will open funding to non-profit organizations that have shown they can directly aid individuals during the pandemic and collaborate effectively, according to the release.
United Way of Monroe County will accept requests for funding from local human and social service non-profit organizations whose IRS designation is in good standing beginning Aug. 2, according to the release.
Organizations interested in funding should consult the United Way of Monroe County’s website for funding intentions and instructions for submitting an application.
