State and Local Funds
Coronavirus Relief Fund
The CARES Act appropriated $150 billion for a Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) for state, territorial, local, and tribal governments. It is unclear to many officials from those governments and nonprofits whether any of these funds can be used to support nonprofit operations. Congress directed that moneys from the fund are to be used “to cover costs that are necessary expenditures incurred” due to COVID-19, “were not accounted for in the budget most recently approved” by such government, and were incurred between March 1 and December 30, 2020. Guidance from U.S. Treasury further explains that the funds may be used to “respond directly to the emergency” and address medical or public health needs as well as economic support for employment or business interruptions, including governments’ share of unemployment costs and payments to the state unemployment insurance fund. Updated FAQs on Coronavirus Relief Funds state explicitly that nonprofits may be used to assist the distribution of CRF Fund payments, clarifying for state governments that nonprofits are critical allies for relief and recovery. For a breakdown of how the various states are using the funds, see the National Conference of State Legislatures website.
Many programs and services nonprofits provide are listed as permissible expenses, such as food delivery, distance learning, and caring for homeless populations. Some state and local governments have created state and local funds under the CRF to provide economic support for small businesses and nonprofits. Others, however, have indicated funds cannot be used for nonprofit services, contradicting the Guidance and FAQs.
- Alaska
- AK CARES Grant Program
- Coronavirus Nonprofit Relief Fund
- Bethel Nonprofit Relief and Response Grants Program (City of Bethel)
- MSB CARES Grant Program (Matanuska-Susitna Borough)
- The Foraker Group Summary of Additional Funding Opportunities
- California
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- District of Columbia
- Hawaii
- Hawaii Business Pivot Grant
- Child Care Stimulus Grant Program
- Small Business Relief and Recovery Fund (City and County of Honolulu)
- Coronavirus Relief Fund Grants for Community Assistance and Hawai`i Island Recovery Initiatives (Hawai`i Island)
- Idaho
- Kansas
- COVID-19 Funding Opportunities (Sedgwick County)
- Maine
- Maryland
- COVID-19 Layoff Aversion Fund
- Community Crisis Response Fund (Anne Arundel County)
- Michigan
- Mississippi
- Montana
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- New Jersey
- New Mexico
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Ohio
- Oklahoma
- Oklahoma Business Relief Program
- Small Business Continuity Program (Oklahoma City)
- Oklahoma County Small Business + Nonprofit Grants (Oklahoma County)
- Oregon
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Vermont
- Washington
- Wyoming
Additional states (Colorado, New Mexico, and New York) have appropriated funds from their respective CRF allocations and will be distributing funds soon.
Other State and Local Publicly or Privately Funded Grants
Separate state and local funds have been created through state appropriations and private philanthropy and donations, as well as through community foundations. Some nonprofits have successfully advocated to be eligible recipients of fund grants and loans from public funds. See below.
- Alaska
- California
- Colorado
- Delaware
- Hawaii:
- Illinois
- Iowa
- Maryland
- Massachusetts
- Michigan
- New Mexico
- New York
- North Carolina
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma City:
- Oregon
- Pennsylvania
- South Carolina
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Virginia
- Washington
- National Funds
- Community Foundation Public Awareness Initiative
- Momentum Fund managed by United Philanthropy Forum
