An Important Update: Our Response to COVID-19

Keeping Our Community Healthy, Safe and Informed
 
TO OUR COMMUNITY:
The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) pandemic continues to be top of mind for all of us, and the health and safety of our partners, staff, and neighbors is always a priority. As your local Community Foundation, we want to share with you what we’re doing, the status of our events and meetings, and how you can help. Above all, please take all necessary precautions to ensure you, your family and neighbors are well.

Effective January 1, 2021, Main Street Community Foundation (MSCF) is notifying our community that we are taking the following steps in the next phase of our COVID-19 Response.

Our office is open in accordance with the guidelines established by the State of Connecticut for the reopening of offices:

  • Our office is staffed Monday – Friday 8:00am to 4:30pm. Visitors must make an appointment before entering the building.
  • The MSCF staff members are working remotely or on a staggered in-office work schedule. You may dial our main number at 860-583-6363 to speak to or leave a message for a staff member during office hours. You may reach a staff member by email as well – see directory here www.mainstreetfoundation.org/staff.
  • A strict cleaning and sanitization schedule has been implemented in accordance with the Reopen Connecticut Guidelines for Offices.
  • Social distancing will be practiced at all times and all employees and visitors will be required to wear a mask in our office building. Additionally, visitors will be asked to respond to a COVID-19 Health Screening Questionnaire before entrance to our office building is permitted.
MSCF will not hold events or host external/committee meetings in person until further notice. Therefore:
  • When possible and desirable, meetings will be held virtually; you will hear from MSCF staff about these arrangements.
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
MSCF has established the COVID-19 Response Fund to help our local communities mobilize the necessary resources to support the emerging needs in Bristol, Burlington, Plainville, Plymouth, Southington and Wolcott. You can learn more about the fund or donate online at www.mainstreetfoundation.org/covid19-fund. We will be collaborating with our funding partners to determine and respond to priorities in our local communities.

We also encourage you to support local nonprofit organizations that work with individuals and families who are most vulnerable in our community. Community based organizations, homeless shelters, pre-school and after-school programs, food pantries and others, which are already dealing with reductions in state and federal funding, will be further stressed. In times like this, philanthropy can truly make a difference. If you are a donor advised fund holder or donor interested in specific recommendations for nonprofit organizations in need due to COVID-19, please contact Kate Kerchaert, Director of Grants & Programs, at kate@mainstreetfoundation.org.

DONOR SERVICES:
We stand ready to help you achieve your local philanthropic goals. We are available to assist donors, as we have been for the last 25 years, to ensure their philanthropic interests and charitable goals are met.

We can offer an array of communication options to comply with proper COVID-19 precautions during this time:

  • You may make an appointment to come into our office to meet in-person with a member of our staff; face masks are required for these meetings and social distancing is practiced throughout the building;
  • You can set up a phone call;
  • Or you can set up a virtual meeting, using a platform of your choice (Zoom, Google Meet, etc.).
We are here for you, in whatever capacity you feel most comfortable.

GRANTMAKING:
Main Street Community Foundation has joined hundreds of foundations throughout the country pledging our commitment to more flexible funding to help grantee partners meet emerging needs prompted by the COVID-19 crisis. In partnership with the Council on Foundations, it is a call to action everywhere to address the unanticipated effects of this global crisis as its social and economic implications unfold so grantees can move quickly to serve the communities most impacted.

Throughout 2020, our COVID-19 response grantmaking provided critical support to community based organizations. Phase 1 supported rapid response funding to organizations providing basic human needs. Phase 2 provided general operating support grants to sustain nonprofit organizations with which we have a strong history. Phase 3 (beginning in February 2021), will provide capacity building grants to help stabilize and strengthen organizations as they continue to operate in this challenging environment.

Nonprofits in our six-town service area with grant inquiries for COVID-19 related needs, can contact Kate Kerchaert, Director of Grants & Programs at kate@mainstreetfoundation.org.

Click HERE to see a list of all COVID-19 related grants made to date.

WHAT RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE:
The Foundation encourages our staff, donors, nonprofits and all members of our community to stay informed about COVID-19 and to practice safe habits. The CDC website is a good resource for both. You may also call 2-1-1, text "CTCOVID" to 898211 or visit the State's coronavirus information website at www.ct.gov/coronavirus.

Thank you for your patience. We will continue to provide updates as the reopening of our state unfolds via email, our website (www.mainstreetfoundation.org), and social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).

We must continue to come together as a community. Main Street Community Foundation is committed to collaborating with stakeholders across our region to ease the impact on residents and stand as a reassuring force in the community.
 

*Updated 1/1/2021