COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund of the Greater Evansville Region Announces Two Additional Rounds of Allocations

The COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund of the Greater Evansville Region has awarded two new rounds of allocations, granting $283,700 to eight nonprofit agencies and $43,800 to four organizations, respectively. A total of 17 organizations addressing community needs related to the novel coronavirus applied during Rounds Eight and Nine. In total, the Response Fund has distributed approximately $1.7 million to more than 70 area nonprofits. 

Disbursements made in these two rounds will aid in funding healthcare navigators, COVID testing, operations, transportation for elderly, disabled and veteran populations, food, and emergency financial assistance. Applications from organizations that serve each of the five counties covered by the fund – Gibson, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh, and Warrick – were approved. 

As part of Round Eight, the Children’s Museum of Evansville was awarded $50,000 to fund building improvements and safety accommodations prompted by the pandemic. A portion of the allocation will be used to install a sanitizing fogger and water bottle filling stations. Across the nation, three fourths of all museums have experienced closures; estimates are that one in three will not survive. We do not want our Children’s Museum to be that “one in three.” Thus, the remainder will aid in ensuring the continuation of service to families and children through experiential learning and imaginative play opportunities. 

In addition to funding requests for Relief, recent applications are signaling a turn toward Recovery and Restoration efforts. A revised application that incorporates new criteria for funding Recovery and Restoration initiatives will be available soon. In the meantime, agencies are encouraged to continue to apply and will be evaluated on relief, recovery*, and restoration* criteria (*soon to be published).

Total contributions to the Response Fund stand at nearly $5.1 million, which includes a grant from Indiana United Ways, with funding provided by Lilly Endowment, Inc.  

Eighth Round Funding Recipients:

Organization: Big Brothers Big Sisters of Southwestern Indiana – Evansville, Indiana

Awarded $25,000

Organization: Habitat for Humanity of Evansville – Evansville, Indiana

Awarded $26,200

Organization: Louis J. Koch Family Children’s Museum of Evansville – Evansville, Indiana

Awarded $50,000

Organization: North Gibson Education Foundation – Princeton, Indiana

Awarded $20,000

Organization: Posey County Council on Aging – Mount Vernon, Indiana 

Awarded $20,000

Organization: The Salvation Army – Evansville, Indiana

Awarded $125,000

Organization: United Methodist Youth Home

Awarded $14,000

Organization: Urban Seeds

Awarded $3,500

Ninth Round Funding Recipients:

Organization: Chemo Buddies – Evansville, Indiana

Awarded $15,000

Organization: Dubois-Pike-Warrick Economic Opportunity Committee – Jasper, Indiana

Awarded $7,000

Organization: Gibson County Fairgrounds Pavilion, Inc. – Princeton, Indiana

Awarded $7,800

Organization: Henager Family Museum – Buckskin, Indiana

Awarded $14,000

Donations to the fund may be made by credit card at covidresponsefund.com or by check at all Old National Bank and Heritage Federal Credit Union branches. Checks should be made payable to United Way of Southwestern Indiana and all donations should reference “COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund of the Greater Evansville Region (or GERF)”  in the memo. Contributions may also be mailed to: United Way of Southwestern Indiana, 318 Main Street, Suite 504, Evansville, IN 47708. For stock or ACH transactions, please call 812-421-7476.