Since establishing its COVID-19 Relief Fund in mid-March, the North Georgia Community Foundation (NGCF) has awarded over $415,000 in emergency grants to nonprofits across North Georgia.
The community foundation set aside all of its 2020 grant funding for COVID-19 relief. In addition, they’ve received “incredible support” from people and organizations who want to help, according to NGCF President & CEO Michelle Prater.
“This additional support has been received through matching grant opportunities, gifts from private foundations and individuals,” says Prater. Money also has been raised through special projects such as the ‘Good People of Gainesville’ campaign and the Chattahoochee Riverkeepers Wild & Scenic Film Festival.
Prater says NGCF has been flooded with requests from nonprofits needing immediate assistance and the volume of calls has not slowed down. “We are thankful for all of those that have given quickly in response to the emergency needs in our community, and we encourage others to continue to follow their example and make contributions to support our relief efforts,” she says.
The North Georgia Community Foundation service area includes the counties of Banks, Dawson, Fannin, Forsyth, Franklin, Habersham, Hall, Hart, Jackson, Rabun, Stephens, Towns, Union, and White. Here’s a list of area nonprofits in those counties that the NGCF COVID-19 Relief Fund has helped so far:
Acceptance Recovery Center (ARC) – $2,000
Counties served: Hall, White, Habersham, Jackson, Clark
Bald Ridge Lodge – $5,000
Counties served: Forsyth
Boys & Girls Clubs of Lanier – $10,000
Counties served: Hall and Forsyth
** Matching grant provided by Sherrie and Lorry Schrage **
Caring Hands Ministry – $5,000
Counties served: Banks, Habersham, Lumpkin & White
Community Helping Place – $8,000
Counties served: Lumpkin
** Matching grant provided by the Rotary Club of Dahlonega Sunrise in Lumpkin County **
Dream Power Therapy – $1,500
Counties served: Hall and surrounding counties
**Matching grant provided by Dancy and Charlie Wynne**
F.A.I.T.H. Inc. – $5,000
Counties served: Rabun
Family Connection of Rabun – $5,000
Counties served: Rabun
** Matching grant provided by The Lake Rabun Association **
Family Promise – $17,000
Counties served: Hall
Providing financial assistance with rent and utilities to those in need. (Part of this funding is from the initial 2019 Opportunity Grant they received.)
Food Bank of Northeast Georgia – $20,000
Counties served: 14 counties in Northeast Georgia, including Rabun and Habersham
**Matching grant provided by the StephJo Foundation Fund**
Gainesville-Hall County Community Council on Aging (CCOA) – $23,160
Counties served: Hall
** Additional gift of $5,000 provided by Sherrie and Lorry Schrage for Meals on Wheels AND an additional $2,200 gift from the MFS Foundation Fund to cover the cost of 1,4000 lbs. of pet food for 145 pets of the shut-ins that Meals on Wheels delivers food to. [Total gift: $30,360] **
Gateway Domestic Violence Center – $15,000
Counties served: Hall
Georgia Mountain Food Bank – $20,000
Counties served: Multiple throughout North Georgia
Georgia Mountains YMCA – $5,000
Counties served: Hall
Good News at Noon – $5,000
Counties served: Hall
Good News Clinics – $10,000
Counties served: Hall
Habersham County United Way – $10,000
Counties served: Habersham
Hispanic Alliance of Georgia – $5,000
Counties served: Hall
** Matching grant provided by Sherrie and Lorry Schrage **
Humane Society of Northeast Georgia – $2,500
Counties served: Hall and Northeast Georgia counties
**Matching grant provided by Dancy and Charlie Wynne**
iServe Ministries – $5,000
Counties served: Jackson and Madison
Northeast Georgia Council on Domestic Violence – $2,500
Counties served: Hart, Elbert, Franklin
** Matching grant provided by the Athens Area Community Foundation**
Peace Place – $2,500
Counties served: Jackson, Barrow, and Banks
** Matching grant provided by the Athens Area Community Foundation**
Rape Response – $2,500
Counties served: Hall, Habersham, Dawson, Forsyth, Lumpkin, and White
**Matching grant provided by the MFS Foundation**
Salvation Army – $15,000
Counties served: Hall and Stephens
St. Johns for the benefit of Sunshine Seniors Food Distribution – $1,000
Counties: Hall
** Matching grant provided by Sherrie and Lorry Schrage**
St. Vincent de Paul – $15,000
Counties served: Hall
Straight Street Ministries – $6,000
Counties served: Hall
United Way of Forsyth County (UWFC) – $25,000
Counties served: Forsyth and Dawson
** This funding was a matching grant challenge received by the UWFC **
United Way of Hall County (UWHC) – $25,000
Counties served: Hall
** This funding was a matching grant challenge received by the UWHC **
VFW, Hiawassee – $5,000
Counties served: Towns
White County Caring & Sharing – $5,000
Counties served: White
White County Food Pantry – $5,000
Counties served: White
In addition to the above grants, NGCF is covering the cost of rent for the month of May for qualified nonprofits housed on its Gainesville campus. The collective rent for the following nonprofits amounts to $3,916.
Community Food Pantry
Counties served: Hall
Disability Resource Center
Counties served: multiple across North Georgia
Family Ties
Counties served: Hall
Gainesville Ballet
Counties served: Hall
Lake Lanier Association
Counties served: multiple across North Georgia
Pay it Forward Scholarships
Counties served: multiple across Georgia
PTSD Foundation of America
Counties served: multiple across North Georgia
Rock Goodbye Angel
Counties served: Hall
Total Victory Solutions
Counties served: Hall
Women for Christ International
Counties served: Hall
Nonprofits in the fourteen-county service area seeking help with critical needs due to the COVID-19 impact may contact Michelle Prater [email protected].
To donate to the NGCF Coronavirus (COVID-19) Relief Fund visit www.ngcf.org/covid19relief.
