From a press releases issued by United Way of South Hampton Roads
In March, Virginia Beach City Council voted to provide $6 million in funding to the Virginia Beach Pandemic Relief Partnership (VBrelief) to provide grants to nonprofit organizations, located in or serving Virginia Beach and its residents, to assist with operational costs and expenses in the wake of the pandemic. United Way of South Hampton Roads was selected by the City to manage the VBrelief Nonprofit Grants Program. Round one, which closed May 24, awarded $10,000 grants to 132 nonprofit organizations. The application for round two opened on June 28.
Round two of the nonprofit grant application is now open and applications are due by Monday, July 26, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. Eligible applicants must:
- Be a nonprofit 501(c)(3) located in or serving the City of Virginia Beach
- Be able to submit an IRS Form 990 or 990EZ from within the last two (2) years (or be exempt from filing by the IRS)
- Have a board of directors with a minimum of four (4) members that meets at least four (4) times per year and has direct local control of finances
- Comply with local, state and national legal requirements related to nondiscrimination
- Have been in operation during the COVID-19 pandemic and suffered a negative economic impact
In round one of the VBrelief Nonprofit Grants Program, 132 nonprofit organizations met all eligibility requirements and were awarded $10,000 each. Of those, 86 have already been paid and United Way is awaiting grant agreements and electronic transfer forms from the others.
Based on key learnings from round one, some of the eligibility requirements have been altered for round two to provide greater flexibility and access for more nonprofits. Additionally, round two will include a tiered approach to funding awards based on an applicant’s annual operating budget to ensure grant amounts align with each organization’s capacity to use the funding quickly and for highest impact.
Grant funds can be used for wages and benefits, rent, utilities, insurance, other operational costs or program expenses. To learn more about eligibility or application requirements, or to apply, visit vbrelief.org and select “nonprofit organization” on the first step of the form.
