$2 Million Boost into Jeffco Helps Nonprofits Recover from COVID Impacts
Community First Foundation is contributing an additional $2 million to its Jeffco Hope Fund to help Jefferson County nonprofits continue responding to and recovering from impacts of COVID-19.
“Jefferson County is our home and we want our communities and neighbors to thrive,” said Kelly Dunkin, CEO and president of Community First Foundation. “We launched the Jeffco Hope Fund in the spring to help Jeffco through the pandemic. Our role as a community foundation is to work with community members to make good possible, and that means working together to help mitigate the negative impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. We recognize the impact COVID continues to have in our neighborhoods as long-lasting and know they won’t immediately disappear with the arrival of the vaccine. That’s why we continue to support our community’s needs with the Jeffco Hope Fund.”
Round 3 grant applications for nonprofits are now open at Grant Opportunities – Community First Foundation. The effects of social isolation, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, have significantly impacted domestic and family violence, mental health needs, and substance abuse needs in our community. This grant opportunity is aimed at all organizations that have stepped up to address these issues for the populations they serve. The Foundation hopes to fuel innovative and proven approaches that promote the physical/mental health and safety of our community.
To date, more than $1.5 million has been distributed to Jeffco nonprofits supporting emergency issues in Jefferson County, ranging from food access to healthcare.
Requests for food support increased 30-50% during COVID, and local food banks and community partners leveraged Jeffco Hope Funding to distribute nearly 200,000 pounds of food and more than 128,000 meals to Jeffco families.
The impact on healthcare included care for the whole person, not just critical care for people sick with COVID. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) was delivered to first responders, domestic violence shelters remained open, telehealth physical and mental health was delivered, and support groups networked in virtual environments thanks in part because of funding from the Jeffco Hope Fund.
As COVID forced social distancing, virtual enrichment events and programming for the most isolated members of our community became more important. Cultural art facilities leveraged grants from the Jeffco Hope Fund to create alternative programming and connections to bring enrichment into our homes.
In the final months of 2020, the Foundation granted an additional $397,000 from the fund’s balance to support Jeffco families struggling with childcare challenges as schools continued with remote learning.
If you or your company are interested in supporting the Jeffco Hope Fund, please contact Community First Foundation. There are many ways individuals and families can partner with the Foundation to meet the need in Jefferson County, from creating fundraising pages for a local nonprofit to employee giving programs. Community First Foundation can process gifts of stock, IRA charitable distributions and estate giving. Together, we can create giving plans that maximize the impact of your gifts and help create a resilient and thriving Jeffco! Learn more and donate at CommunityFirstFoundation.org/