When the pandemic hit, the Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation Board of Directors suspended the current grant round and established the Brainerd Lakes Area Response Fund.
The fund is used to make grants for organizations to primarily address needs around day care for essential workers, mental health support, food insecurity, emergency financial assistance for individuals and families, and help businesses reopen in a safe manner. The foundation accepts and reviews requests weekly from qualifying nonprofits, schools and governmental entities for clients that have been impacted by COVID-19 and have projects that fit grant criteria, according to the news release.
To date, the fund has made nearly $100,000 in response related grants to local organizations. The foundation raised funds for the response fund from the Minnesota Disaster Relief Fund ($30,700), individuals and local businesses of the nearly $100,000 in total. The latest round of support came from local financial institutions. In a coordinated campaign led by three foundation board members, in response to a challenge gift of $15,000 from CTC to address food insecurity, they invited all local financial institutions to join them in supporting neighbors in need at this critical time.
To date, nine of the banks and credit unions have donated a total of $32,000 to the foundation. The community foundation board, staff and community thank the following contributors: American National Bank of Minnesota, BlackRidgeBANK, Bremer Bank, Deerwood Bank, First National Bank, Frandsen Bank and Trust, Mid Minnesota Federal Credit Union, Randall State Bank and Riverwood Bank. Other financial institutions are still considering funding.
To join in supporting needs in the community or to request funding visit communitygiving.org/COVID-19 and select the BLA Response Fund, or contact ksamp@communitygiving.org.