The Oswego County Community Foundation announced today that it has established the Oswego County COVID-19 Fund in partnership with the Richard S. Shineman Foundation and the United Way of Greater Oswego County to support nonprofit organizations working with communities that are disproportionately impacted by economic consequences of the coronavirus pandemic.
The fund is designed to rapidly deploy flexible resources in the form of one-time operating grants on a rolling basis to nonprofits whose operations support vulnerable populations stressed by the outbreak. The Community Foundation and Shineman Foundation are seeding the fund with their own contributions and encourage individuals, institutions, and companies to donate as well.
Karen Goetz, executive director of the Oswego-based Shineman Foundation, said, “In joining this unique partnership, the board of directors of the Shineman Foundation is pleased to announce it recently authorized up to $150,000 to support the vital work of Oswego County nonprofits during this time of local – as well as national and global – crisis. The many organizations that do so much of the caregiving and helping in Oswego’s vulnerable communities deserve our support, especially given the human and financial stresses the COVID-19 pandemic has wrought.”
The Oswego County Community Foundation, which is an affiliate of the Central New York Community Foundation, has pledged $29,500 to the fund. The Central New York Community Foundation will administer grants from the fund in collaboration with the Shineman Foundation and the United Way. Together, they will identify potential grant recipients, solicit guidance on immediate needs from community advisers and recommend final awards. Funds will be released on a rolling basis as fundraising continues throughout the outbreak and recovery phases of the crisis, making it possible to move resources quickly and adapt to evolving needs.
“The United Way of Greater Oswego County is proud to collaborate with the Shineman Foundation by creating this giving platform, which will directly support Oswego County nonprofit agencies that are providing assistance to our most vulnerable population during this crisis,” said Patrick Dewine, UWOGOC executive director. “This enhanced safety net is designed to immediately reach individuals and families across our county to ensure their basic needs are met. It is in times like these we know people want to make a difference. By pooling resources together, this relief fund will create the largest impact in our community.”
