Dear Grantee Partners:

On behalf of the Directors and staff of The Nelson Foundation, I would like to share with you the next set of actions that the Foundation’s Board recently authorized in response to the Covid-19 pandemic in support of our grantees partners:

  • One-time additional grants of $5,000 will be made to all of the Foundation’s 39 current grantee partners for a total of $195,000. These grant payments will be made by July 1 and have no reporting requirements. Please check that your organization’s address is up to date in the grantmaking system.
  • Fall grants will be awarded at the September Board Meeting for payment in early October instead of mid-December. This change will entail a few modifications to the regular Core grantmaking process, including making this grant cycle available to current grantees only and simplifying the application process. If you are a current grantee that is due to apply in this upcoming cycle you will receive a separate communication from us with instructions. Applications will be accepted between July 1-31.
  • An additional $25,000 in emergency grant funds will be available on a case-by-case basis for the remainder of the year. These grants are expected to range between $5,000-$10,000 and will require approval by the Directors. Please contact the Foundation for additional information about these emergency funds if your organization has an emergency need.
  • For the first time in the Foundation’s history, the Board has authorized that up to $100,000 of the Foundation’s endowment may be used to provide bridge loans to select grantees. Any loan will require approval by the Directors. If you would like to learn more about this loan program, please contact the Foundation.

This continues to be a challenging and uncertain time for all of us. Please know that The Nelson Foundation is trying to be proactive and responsive in support of your organizations and the communities you serve. Please do not hesitate to reach out to us with any questions, thoughts or ideas that you have.

We continue to think of each of you,
Mindy

Alexandra Aldridge, President