As COVID-19 continues to spread in the United States, private foundations are stepping up with funding to meet the immediate needs of individuals and vulnerable populations impacted by the virus. Here's a roundup of grants from the last few days:

California Wellness Foundation, Los Angeles, CA | $4 Million

The California Wellness Foundation has announced grants totaling nearly $3 million in support of vulnerable communities impacted by COVID-19 — including frontline health workers, economically disadvantaged individuals and groups, immigrants, seniors, and Asian Americans experiencing race-based harassment and assaults — as well as select grantees who are experiencing significant disruptions to their work. Cal Wellness also said it will commit another $1 million in support of community clinics and the associations that advocate for them.

Marguerite Casey Foundation, Seattle, WA | Nearly $3 Million

The Marguerite Casey Foundation has announced grants totaling nearly $3 million in supplemental support to fifty-six current grantees to assist them with their work-from-home transitions in response to the coronavirus outbreak. The foundation also has seeded an emergency income relief fund launched by the Workers Lab to help families buy groceries and basic supplies, with an initial focus on gig and undocumented workers.

Dogwood Health Trust, Asheville, North Carolina | $10 Million

Created out of the $1.5 billion sale of Mission Health to HCA Healthcare, the Dogwood Health Trust has announced a $10 million commitment in support of efforts to address the public health crisis in western North Carolina. Support will be focused on three areas — flattening the curve, preparing the region for virus spread, and mitigating impacts of COVID-19, including supporting local companies as they work to increase production of face shields and hand sanitizer, ordering more COVID-19 tests, and working with partners to create spaces where patients can be quarantined. The trust is a funding partner of the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina's COVID-19 Pandemic Response fund.

Multiple Foundations, Western New York State | $4 Million 

The United Way of Buffalo & Erie County has announced the launch of the Western New York (WNY) COVID-19 Community Response Fund with commitments from nearly twenty funders — including BlueCross BlueShield of Western New York's Blue Fund, the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo, the Health Foundation for Western & Central New York, M&T Bank, and the Bank of America Charitable, Buffalo Bills, Buffalo Sabres, East Hill, Grigg Lewis, James H. Cummings, Key Bank and First Niagara, Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower, Patrick P. Lee, Pinto Family, Ralph C. Wilson, Jr., Baird, John R. Oishei, Margaret L. Wendt, and Western New York foundations. The fund has raised at least $4 million to date to meet health, human services, food, and childcare needs in the region and support frontline responders.

Houston Endowment, Houston, TX | $2 Million

The Houston Endowment has announced commitments totaling $2 million to the Greater Houston COVID-19 Recovery Fund to assist residents of the region with immediate basic needs. In addition to a lead gift of $1 million, the endowment has pledged $1 million to match contributions to the fund on a 1:4 basis. Companies that have pledged donations to the fund include JPMorgan Chase ($100,000), the Houston Texans Foundation ($100,000), and the Wells Fargo Foundation ($150,000).

Mellon Foundation, New York, NY | $1.25 Million

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded emergency grants of $1 million to Citymeals on Wheels and $250,000 to God's Love We Deliver, which are experiencing overwhelming demand for their services, to help feed and support elderly and health-compromised New Yorkers who are required to stay in and limit visits from others to avoid exposure to the coronavirus. 

Quantitative Foundation, Charlottesville, VA | $1 Million

The University of Virginia in Charlottesville has announced a $1 million gift from the Quantitative Foundation to expand UVA Health's capacity to test for COVID-19. The funding is expected to boost the number of tests produced daily from the current two hundred to more than five hundred, with a portion of the tests being made available for inpatients at other Virginia hospitals as well as clinical providers and first responders with symptoms.

Thornburg Foundation, Santa Fe, NM | $1 Million

The Thornburg Foundation has announced that it is accelerating its annual grantmaking and will double each grant with a one-time increase totaling $240,000 in support of nonprofits serving food-insecure children, families, and seniors and the homeless in Santa Fe and Albuquerque affected by COVID-19. Recipients include Food Depot ($20,000), Interfaith Community Shelter ($30,000), La Familia Medical Center ($20,000), Kitchen Angels ($20,000), Communities in Schools ($20,000), Esperanza Shelter ($20,000), St. Elizabeth's Shelter ($20,000), Youth Shelter ($20,000), Adelante program ($10,000), Family Independence Initiative ($10,000), Roadrunner Food Bank ($20,000), Heading Home ($20,000), and the Santa Fe Community Foundation's COVID-19 Response Fund ($10,000).

Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Baltimore, MD | $4 Million

The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation has announced $4 million in emergency grants in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, including $2.57 million to fifty-five nonprofits operating in the foundation's priority communities in the United States and Israel, and $1.5 million for emergency needs to be identified in the coming weeks and months. The foundation also is accelerating payment of several previously approved grants to ensure that organizations have use of those funds as quickly as possible.

(Photo credit: Food Depot)