Nonprofits to share $2.5 million in latest grants from the PHL COVID-19 Fund

The PHL COVID-19 Fund on Thursday announced its latest grant recipients: 79 Philadelphia-area nonprofits will receive a total of more than $2.5 million. Last week, the fund’s first round of grants totaled approximately $2.3 million to 44 nonprofits.

Formed on March 19, the fund has received more than $13.7 million in pledges and gifts from regional businesses, foundations, and more than 3,000 individual online donors. It is a collaboration established by the City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Foundation, and United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey to help nonprofits in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The need is great, with fund organizers saying they’ve received about $25 million in requests from more than 900 area nonprofits.

“COVID-19 has touched each of us in some way, but the reality is, certain communities are more at risk or face barriers that make this crisis even more challenging to navigate,” said Bill Golderer, president and CEO of the United Way, in a statement. “This second round of grants will help equip the nonprofits serving the people at risk to make sure critical safety net and other services remain available for the people who need them the most.”

Grants are made to community-based organizations that support residents in three primary capacities: food and basic needs, protection of vulnerable groups, and medical care and information.

The highest grants this week were for $50,000. Among those receiving that amount was ACLAMO, which is based in Montgomery County and primarily supports that area’s growing Latino communities.

"Our communities are experiencing this crisis on different levels,” said Nelly Jimenez, ACLAMO’s executive director and CEO, in a statement. “Everyone says we are all in this together, but the inequalities that minority communities are experiencing and the lack of access to resources for them has highlighted the catastrophic impact this crisis will have on families we serve.”

ACLAMO will use a portion of its grant money to advance technology platforms to coordinate language access services and interpretation in Spanish, Korean, Chinese, and Hindi at the COVID-19 testing site in Montgomery County.

SEAMAAC of South Philadelphia also received a $50,000 grant, which it will use toward providing services for immigrant and refugee communities, as well as to buy protective equipment for its staff and volunteers who deliver life-sustaining meals and information.

"The PHL COVID-19 Fund will allow us to immediately address issues of hunger and food insecurities for the marginalized communities we serve,” SEAMAAC CEO Thoai Nguyen said in a statement. “While these issues have always been present, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated these issues and exposed the inequities and privilege gaps within our society.”

The fund expects to make its third round of grants in seven to 10 days.

These organizations received this week’s funding:

ACLAMO, $50,000; African American Chamber of Commerce of PA, NJ & DE Foundation, $40,000; African Cultural Alliance of North America Inc (ACANA), $40,000; Aid for Friends d.b.a. Caring for Friends, $50,000; AVANZAR (formerly the Women’s Center), $35,390; Bancroft Neurohealth, $50,000; Bebashi-Transition to Hope, $50,000; BEMS, $50,000; Boys and Girls Clubs of Philadelphia, $50,000; C.B. Community Schools, $10,000; Coalition of African Communities (AFRICOM), $15,000; Cradles to Crayons, $45,000; Dimplez 4 Dayz Inc., $5,000; Earths Keepers, $11,000; Face to Face, $50,000; Families Forward Philadelphia, $25,000; Feast of Justice, $37,500; Feeding 5000, $19,250; First Light Project, $25,000.

Also, Food Bank of South Jersey, $40,000; Garden of Health Inc., $5,000; Germantown Avenue Crisis Ministry, $25,000; Germantown Deaf Ministries Fellowship Inc., $10,000; Greater Harleysville and North Penn Senior Services, $20,000; Greater Philadelphia Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, $15,000; Greater Philadelphia YMCA, $50,000; Greener Partners, $25,000; Haitian-Americans United for Change, $2,500; Helping Hand Rescue Mission, $26,000; Hendricks House Inc, $50,000; Hispanic Family Center of Southern NJ Inc., $7,500; Indochinese American Council, $50,000; Interfaith Caregivers of Haddonfield Inc., $20,000; JEVS Human Services, $50,000; Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia, $40,000; Joseph’s House of Camden, $11,000; Legacy of Hope, $25,000; LUCY Outreach (A NJ nonprofit corporation), $50,000.

Also, Lupus Foundation of America, Philadelphia Tri-State Chapter, $15,000; Medical Students for Masks, $7,500; Nationalities Service Center, $50,000; Norris Square Neighborhood Project, $3,800; Norristown Hospitality Center, $25,000; North Penn YMCA, $10,000; North Philadelphia Peace Park of Culture Trust, $35,000; Nutritional Development Services, $25,000; Old Pine Community Center, $20,000; Penn Asian Senior Services, $50,000; Pennsylvania Assistive Technology Foundation, $20,000; Pennsylvania Innocence Project, $16,000; Philadelphia Chinatown Development Corp., $50,000; Public Health Management Corp., $50,000; Quakertown Community Outreach, $50,000; Reading Terminal Market Corp., $25,000; Resources for Human Development, $50,000; Restaurant Opportunities Center of Pennsylvania, $31,000; Retired Senior Volunteer Program of Montgomery County, PA Inc. d/b/a RSVP, $46,600; SEAMAAC Inc., $50,000; Second Alarmers Rescue Squad, $50,000.

Also, St. Edmond’s Home, $15,000; Surfside Recovery Services, $20,000; the Breathing Room Foundation Inc., $30,000; the Public Interest Law Center, $15,000; the Salvation Army, $50,000; the Urban League of Philadelphia, $50,000; the Veterans Group, $35,000; UESF, $50,000; Unity Recovery, $25,000; Uplift Solutions, $50,000; Urban Resources Development Corp., $17,000; VNA Philadelphia, $50,000; VNA-Community Services Inc., $50,000; WES Health Centers Inc., $50,000; William Way LGBT Community Center, $50,000; Women’s Medical Fund, $50,000; Women’s Opportunities Resource Center, $50,000; Youth Empowerment for Advancement Hangout (YEAH Inc.), $8,000; Youth Service Inc., $4,500; 1 Love 4 Animals, $10,000.

The Inquirer is owned by the Lenfest Institute for Journalism, which operates under the auspices of Philadelphia Foundation. For more information on how to donate to the PHL COVID-19 Fund, visit phlcovid19fund.org.