Thanks to CARES Act funding, 35 nonprofit charitable organizations in Charles County are receiving a measure of financial relief to help cover exceptional costs created by the Coronavirus pandemic. By arrangement with the County Commissioners, the Charles County Charitable Trust has distributed $400,000 of federal funds to these organizations while adding $2,565 to the amount from its own resources. The grants ranged from $5,050 to $25,000.
The funds can be used to provide relief in two areas. One is to cover revenue loss because income fell off after the onset of the pandemic or normal fundraising efforts had to be curtailed or canceled. The other allows covering the costs of expenses for goods and services incurred for pandemic-related services.
This emergency relief program marks the third of three rounds this year. Last spring the County Commissioners voted twice to provide $100,000 as emergency funds for the nonprofit community and asked the Trust to manage the application and distribution process. The total emergency relief funds expended have now come to $622,615.
The Trust’s executive director Vivian Mills said that nonprofits stepped in without delay to help residents whose lives were up-ended by the pandemic. In the face of increased demands for their services, many organizations then experienced a serious strain on budget and human resources.
Recipients of grants from the $400,000 emergency relief fund were required to be in operation since Oct. 2019, hold 501c3 charitable status and enjoy good standing with the State of Maryland. The grant decisions were made by the Trust’s board of directors, whose president is Swynice Hawkins, a Waldorf resident with longtime leadership experience in the nonprofit realm. All the board members are Charles County residents.
The total grant funds made available this year to nonprofits comes to $1,482,415, encompassing three rounds of emergency relief at $622,615 and the annual Nonprofit Grant Award Program at $859,800. For that program nonprofit applicants had to describe their plans and commitments for the year beginning July 1, provide detailed financial information, and cite the outcomes and benefits. The smallest grant came in at $4,000 and the largest at $65,000. The recipients represent a broad array of nonprofit missions.
Speaking for the board, Mills noted that the County Commissioners’ willingness to support the work of the local nonprofit sector deserves community-wide applause.
The Trust’s mission is to improve people’s lives through cooperative efforts and innovative projects for community improvement. For five years it has managed the annual Nonprofit Grant Award program authorized by the County Commissioners. It has also initiated services designed to give nonprofits technical assistance and training in key areas of nonprofit development and management.
Information about the grants is available at charlesnonprofits.org. Inquiries should be directed to Susan Petroff, Program Director, [email protected].
