Editor’s note: This article was published by Crain’s Detroit Business.
By SHERRI WELCH
Crain’s Detroit Business
The COVID-19 Community Response Fund administered by United Way for Southeastern Michigan is getting a $2 million infusion from a national funder.
The funds are part of a $26 million grant made by The Audacious Project, a collaborative funding platform, to the Harlem Children’s Zone in New York City.
The Harlem Children’s Zone, which has been nationally recognized for its work to end intergenerational poverty, is raising $50 million to support Harlem and six U.S. cities with large African American populations that have been disproportionately impacted by the pandemic.
Along with Detroit, other cities benefiting from the funding include Atlanta, Chicago, Minneapolis, Newark and Oakland. A fiduciary nonprofit in each will administer the grant dollars over the next 12 months.
The grant to the United Way-led COVID-19 Community Response Fund will provide support for five areas:
Including the $2 million grant made through the Harlem Children’s Zone, United Way has raised a total of $33.6 million for COVID-19 relief and granted $24.5 million of that to date, said Jerome Espy, a spokesman for the Detroit-based organization.
“We are grateful to The Audacious Project and the Harlem Children’s Zone for this generous support for families, especially families of color who are disproportionately affected by COVID-19 and financial challenges,” said United Way President and CEO Darienne Hudson in a release.
“Our COVID-19 Community Fund has already done quite a bit to help, thanks to our partners leaning in. But, as we see cases continue to rise, we know more help is needed for organizations working directly in the community.”