Dane County, Madison Community Foundation to Partner on Covid Relief for Local Non-Profits

May 24, 2021
Ariana Vruwink, 608-267-8823
County Executive

Dane County and the Madison Community Foundation (MCF) are teaming together to help local non-profit organizations recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, County Executive Joe Parisi said today. The county is allocating $5 million for a grant program intended to provide relief to Dane County based non-profits who experienced economic losses this past year.

"Community based non-profits met incredible needs throughout the pandemic, despite facing deep economic challenges," Dane County Executive Joe Parisi said. "Many of these organizations were part of the frontline response and this new grant program can help them rebuild and reinvest in the important work they do."

Under a resolution introduced to the Dane County Board last week, the county will allocate $5 million in American Rescue Act funds to the Madison Community Foundation. MCF will coordinate the grant application and review process and award dollars based on a series of criteria. Information about how to apply will be available on the Community Foundation's website once the fund is officially created.

“We saw true leadership and innovation from Dane County non-profits as they rose to the challenges of Covid-19,” said Tom Linfield, Vice President of Community Impact at Madison Community Foundation. “We are pleased to work with these charitable agencies and look forward to distributing funds in order to mitigate the challenges caused by the pandemic.”

All Dane County nonprofit organizations will be able to apply for funds from the $5 million program once this resolution is adopted by the Dane County Board. Organizations didn't need to have an active role in the Covid response to apply but will need to demonstrate loss of income due to the pandemic to successfully compete for a grant award.

“Non-profits are our partners in providing services that support and enhance the lives of county residents,” said County Board Chair Analiese Eicher. “Over the past year, members of the County Board have discussed the challenges facing these organizations whose regular sources of funding have become unavailable, as a result of the pandemic. I welcome this initiative to, at least in part, fill this gap in resources so these organizations can continue to provide benefit to our community.” 

This non-profit grant program is Dane County's latest innovative effort to assist families, small businesses, and communities in recovery from the pandemic. To date, the county has awarded millions in funds to address food insecurity, homelessness, and small business relief resulting from Covid-19.