Galesburg Community Foundation was announced as one of 30 Illinois nonprofits to receive funding from the first round of the Illinois COVID-19 Response Fund (ICRF). The Community Foundation will receive $100,000 for its Rapid Response Fund. In conjunction with the ICRF, upon receipt of the funds, they will be swiftly deployed to nonprofits in Galesburg Community Foundation’s service area in support of residents in need of: emergency food and basic supplies; interim housing and shelter; primary health care services; utility and financial assistance; supports for children and other vulnerable populations, and nonprofit safety and operations assistance.
The ICRF was established by the United Way of Illinois and the Alliance of Illinois Community Foundations, in collaboration with the Office of the Governor.
In addition to receiving funds, Galesburg Community Foundation’s President & CEO, Joshua Gibb, was named as a member of ICRF’s Grantmaking Working Group. As a member of the ICRF Grantmaking Working Group, Gibb will aid in identifying and recruiting potential grantees who can address needs identified by the ICRF Steering Committee as priority areas for grant making, review and prioritize applications to provide recommendations to the Steering Committee, provide feedback to the Steering Committee on proposed grantmaking priorities and process and develop mechanisms to capture and communicate the impact of ICRF grants.
Gibb said, “I was pleased to be named to the ICRF Working Group to aid grant makers and foundations from across the state assess the needs of rural Illinois during this time. Dollars awarded during round one will be granted to nonprofits across the state, including locally. The Galesburg Community Foundation team is in continual conversations with nonprofits serving our region to ensure we can put the ICRF dollars to work effectively and efficiently.”
The Rapid Response Fund at Galesburg Community Foundation was established in partnership with The Twomey Foundation, the G.L. Vitale Family Foundation, the McClean Family Endowment Fund, the Warren County United Way and the United Way of Knox County. The Rapid Response Fund supports local nonprofits directly responding to emergencies or disasters impacting the communities and people of Knox and Warren Counties. Specifically, at this time, the fund can be used to directly support local nonprofit organizations on the front lines dealing with COVID-19. Grants from the fund will be made in collaboration with public health and safety response efforts.
