COVID-19: A Just East Bay Response Fund

• Donations can be made safely online via credit card via the COVID-19: A Just East Bay Response Fund online donation form.
• OR EBCF Fundholders can grant from their DAFs by simply logging into Donor Central and following the prompts.
• To make a wire transfer, please contact May Leong at mleong@eastbaycf.org.
• Checks should be made out to “East Bay Community Foundation.” 200 Frank Ogawa Plaza, Oakland CA 94612. In the note line, please specify “COVID-19: A Just East Bay Response Fund.”
• For donations of stocks, bonds or mutual funds, please click HERE for instructions.

We are not able to accept restricted grants to the COVID-19: Just East Bay Fund. Please rest assured that the Fund is investing in organizations that meet the immediate priority needs of our region as described above. These priority needs will shift and expand as we move through this emergency response and recovery phase and receive more feedback from our stakeholders.

You may still of course make grants to specific organizations of your choosing directly from your EBCF Donor Advised Fund. If you would like specific recommendations, please contact your relationship manager at EBCF, or our Vice President of Development, Alexandra Aquino-Fike at aaquinofike@eastbycf.org.

If your personal situation allows it, please consider giving to this Fund, while continuing or increasing your support for nonprofits in other areas that you believe in. The need in our region is greater now than ever. We encourage everyone to consider giving as much as they can to support one another, and the individuals and communities that are facing critical, needs.

No. EBCF is not charging a fee on any contributions to this fund. If you are making a contribution by credit card, you may opt to cover the processor’s (PayPal) fees. If you opt to not cover the fees, EBCF will ensure that the nonprofit receives 100% of your donation.

Absolutely. EBCF welcomes your leadership and support. Corporate and Institutional Funders should contact Sachi Yoshii, Vice President of Strategy & External Relations, to explore a potential partnership at syoshii@eastbaycf.org

Yes. We continue to be in conversation with our sister community foundations, regional, and national funders around both a regional approach and the distinct needs of each Bay Area county. Our goal is to coordinate our efforts and maximize resources for our community partners.

No.

This Fund may be able to provide assistance through one of our selected grantees. It will not give financial assistance to individuals directly, but during the first phase of this Fund, we are selecting local East Bay organizations with the capacity to provide direct financial assistance. We will strive to share more information about our partners within the next several weeks and then on a rolling basis as we move forward.

Initially, EBCF’s COVID-19 Fund will make grants to organizations that meet the following criteria:

• 501(c)(3) status or fiscally sponsored project.
• Provides direct financial assistance to individuals and families. The goal is to cover multiple and emerging economic hardships to the most vulnerable populations in the East Bay.
• Have a focus on the following vulnerable populations (this list may shift as we receive more feedback from our community partners)
  • Low income individuals who have lost jobs and wages
  • Tenants in need of rental assistance, the unhoused, undocumented individuals
  • The elderly, those at risk of domestic violence at home, and others facing economic hardship who are not able to access public assistance.
• Organizations with the capacity to move direct financial assistance immediately to those most severely impacted by the COVID-19 economic fall-out.

EBCF is aware of the unexpected and acute revenue shortfalls resulting from COVID-19. This first phase of the COVID-19: Just East Bay Response Fund will focus exclusively on organizations that meet the criteria above. However, we are actively working with our partners to ascertain and secure financial support for nonprofits facing critical financial and sustainability challenges that do not meet the above criteria. We are hopeful that we can provide such support in the second phase of the Fund.

If you have received funding from a donor at EBCF in the past, we encourage you to reach out to your relationship liaison at EBCF to inquire if that donor might be able to support you with additional funds right now.

There is no Request for Proposals (RFP) or application process. EBCF, with input from our community partners, will select organizations on a rolling basis to support through this Fund. If you believe you qualify based on the criteria listed above, please contact us at: grantmaking@eastbaycf.org. Please do bear with us as we are facing a higher than normal volume of inquiries for support. We will make every effort possible to respond within 1 week.

We continue to actively solicit feedback from our community partners about the biggest needs in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. If you would like to share the needs and challenges that communities in your area are facing, please email us at: grantmaking@eastbaycf.org.

We anticipate the first wave of grants will be issued by the end of March.

Yes. This fund will support nonprofit organizations serving Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Grantees may be headquartered elsewhere, but a significant portion of their services and population served must be centered in these two counties.

We will announce the first wave of our grantees on a rolling basis over the next four weeks.