2020 Rapid Response Grants Recap

In March of 2020 the Cooper Foundation adapted its grantmaking in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to focus on the critical needs of nonprofit organizations and those they serve. A new Rapid Response Application was developed, and grants were awarded monthly for unrestricted general operating support for nonprofits in Lincoln and throughout Nebraska. Between March and September 2020, the Foundation awarded 63 grants totaling $477,934.

To help our nonprofit partners meet their most urgent needs, and to reduce the administrative work related to our grants, the application form and process were streamlined. We changed our form to focus on two main questions, asking how the pandemic had affected organizations in their operations and programs, as well as the financial impact due to increased costs, lost revenue, and changes in programs and services. Cooper Foundation staff took on parts of the process that would typically be performed by our applicants and grantees by replacing our LOI form and grant report forms with in-person video meetings and phone calls and recording those notes in our grant records.

This new way of working was as beneficial to the Cooper Foundation as it was to our grantees. We were able to learn more about the evolving situation in our community, deepen our relationships with nonprofit leaders and staff, and help create more meaningful connections. We are grateful for the extraordinary work of the nonprofit community in our state, and humbled by their dedication, flexibility, and creativity in responding to this unprecedented challenge.