Rapid Response Fund Distributes $277,400 In Emergency Funding to 26 Nonprofit Organizations Providing Critical Resources to Residents During the COVID-19 Pandemic
United Way of the Greater Triangle announced today that its Rapid Response Fund will distribute $277,400 in its first round of funding through 31 allocations that will provide emergency support to 26 local nonprofit organizations supporting residents with critical resources including food, childcare, rental assistance, and more during the COVID-19 pandemic. Nonprofit organizations operating in Wake, Durham, Orange, and/or Johnston counties can apply to be considered for future funding rounds at any time.
“We are so grateful to everyone who has donated during this unprecedented crisis. From the requests for funding that we’ve received so far, it’s clear that the need is great and every donation makes a difference,” said Eric Guckian, President and CEO of United Way of the Greater Triangle. “This is the kind of crisis that both brings us to our knees and brings us together. Together, we will make it through.”
The Rapid Response Fund began collecting donations on March 16, 2020 and has raised more than $900,000 to date. These donations have come through the WRAL virtual telethon, online donations, and generous contributions from individuals and organizations including Burt’s Bees, Coastal Credit Union Foundation, Coca-Cola Consolidated, Deloitte, Google Fiber, GSK, Nationwide Foundation, NetApp, Novozymes, Pinnacle Financial Partners, PNC, RTI International, Triangle Community Foundation, Truist Foundation, UPS, Wells Fargo Foundation, and more.
The following organizations will receive funding from the Rapid Response Fund during this first funding cycle: Alliance Medical Ministry, Book Harvest, CASA, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Public School Foundation, Chapel Hill Training Outreach Project: KidScope, Church in the Woods, Durham Public Schools Foundation, Families Moving Forward, Good News Buenas Nuevas, Hope Center at Pullen, Housing For New Hope, Inter-Faith Food Shuttle, Johnston Lee Harnett Community Action, Meals on Wheels of Durham, Oak City Cares, Orange Congregations in Mission, Partnership For Children, PORCH Chapel Hill-Carrboro, Refugee Support Center, Sharing Community Love, StandUp-SpeakOut, Triangle Family Services, Urban Ministries of Durham, Urban Ministries of Wake County, Wake County Boys and Girls Club, and YMCA of the Triangle.
100% of donations made to the Rapid Response Fund will go back into local communities and will be disbursed during multiple funding rounds to ensure that challenges that may arise in the near future can still be addressed. Decisions for this first round of funding were officially and unanimously confirmed on April 8 and communicated to organizations shortly after.
United Way of the Greater Triangle will also be sharing more information about the community’s needs, based on analysis of the applications, with other local funding organizations. To donate, visit https://unitedwaytriangle.org/response.