Governor Chris Sununu announced today the creation of a $60 million New Hampshire Nonprofit Emergency Relief and Recovery Fund for New Hampshire nonprofit organizations. The funds are part of the $1.25 billion New Hampshire Coronavirus Relief Fund that was established through the CARES Act.
The fund will support a grants program to be administered by a partnership of the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits, the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and the Community Development Finance Authority.
The three organizations had been invited to testify to two committees advising the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery, and were encouraged to submit a proposal about the creation of a fund to assist nonprofits.
In a letter to the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery, Kathleen Reardon of the New Hampshire Center for Nonprofits, Richard Ober of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and Katherine Easterly Martey of the Community Development Finance Authority wrote:
“Nonprofit organizations serve hundreds of thousands of residents in every community in New Hampshire. These organizations operate for public benefit and are critical to the state’s relief and recovery efforts. Their ability to deliver public services has been severely undermined by the coronavirus crisis. Revenues for nonprofits have declined steeply, while demand for many services has increased. The Nonprofit Relief and Recovery Fund would address both costs and losses incurred by nonprofits as a direct result of COVID-19, and provide resources to help nonprofits meet important health, economic, and social needs and expenditures that directly result from COVID-19. Both types of support will be critical to serve the New Hampshire public that relies upon and benefits from the work of nonprofit organizations.”
Grants will be made through an application process to be developed by the three partners and announced through a call for applications soon. More information about the Fund will be posted on the website of the Governor’s Office for Emergency Relief and Recovery. Please check the GOFERR website periodically for updates and for other funding opportunities available to nonprofits. The three partner organizations will also post regular updates and information on their websites as it becomes available.
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