Statewide COVID-19 relief fundraising comes to foundation and is granted to area nonprofits
CLARK COUNTY — The Community Foundation of Southwest Washington (CFSWW) can receive matching donation funds through tomorrow from All In WA, a statewide fundraising campaign for COVID-19 relief efforts.
The Ed and Dollie Lynch Foundation is contributing on the local front, with another $25 million in matching funds from Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos being dispersed across the state. The funds benefit the SW Washington COVID Response Fund; in effect, working in tandem to triple donations to the fund.
“The need in the community far outweighs the available dollars,” said Esra Khalil, the program officer for CFSWW. “So there is a likelihood that some organizations who receive funding may receive additional funds. I think that it’s also just more of a reflection, that there’s a deep need in the community. We have prioritized funding organizations that are working with economically vulnerable families who are either experiencing financial, social, emotional, mental health, or physical health [challenges] as a result of the ongoing pandemic.”
To date, the SW Washington COVID Response Fund has granted more than $5 million to trusted nonprofit partners that are serving those most affected by COVID-19. More than $3.5 million is serving Clark County communities and organizations. A complete list of the grantees can be found online, with the primary focus areas of:
- Housing stability efforts, services for people facing homelessness, physical and behavioral healthcare, emergency food programs and childcare support
- Community service delivery barriers, particularly around volunteer recruitment, retention and safety, and contingency planning
- Health and safety measures that range from basic cleaning and healthcare supplies to technology solutions for day-to-day operations
Over 127 individual grants to organizations like the Vancouver NAACP, Battle Ground Healthcare, Share Vancouver, Janus Youth Programs, Living for Christ Church, and the Salvation Army have been awarded.
“These organizations have been incredibly innovative in terms of their work that they’re doing, to be responsive to community needs,” Khalil said. “They really have done things that are tremendous, and I think they’re learning some great lessons going forward.”
Khalil highlighted the work of Janus Youth and Fourth Plain Forward specifically as having very strong responses to aiding the community. They work to help homeless youth and small businesses owned by women and minorities, respectively.
Donors interested in supporting relief efforts in SW Washington and taking advantage of the unique opportunity can give via the foundation website at cfsww.org/respond.
All in WA provides funds to causes that support workers and families who have been acutely affected by the COVID-19 crisis, particularly Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities who have been disproportionately impacted.
Since launching in May, All In WA has facilitated more than $70 million in contributions, including matching funds from Bezos, to over 50 causes and community funds across the state. This includes support for All In WA’s cause funds, focused on five critical areas of need: child and family services, food insecurity, small-business recovery, youth homelessness, and support for undocumented families.
Additionally, All In WA launched the Digital Equity Initiative to address digital access gaps and the Child Care Initiative to expand affordable child care access.
While the generosity of Washingtonians has been unprecedented, the impact of the pandemic is far from over. Due to the urgent need across our state, All In WA has set a new fundraising goal of $100 million. As with his earlier pledge, Bezos will match individual donations up to $1 million.
Information provided by the Community Foundation of Southwest Washington and All in WA
