As the COVID-19 crisis unfolded in early 2020, local funding partners created a cross-sector, community-wide critical response to the growing economic impact of the pandemic. As a result, the COVID-19 Crisis Response Fund of the Greater Evansville Region was established to serve the counties of Gibson, Posey, Spencer, Vanderburgh and Warrick through the relief, recovery, and restoration phases of a large-scale crisis.

Generous founding partners launched the fund with more than $1,000,000 and over the past year, hundreds of community members contributed. With the help of many businesses, partners, organizations, Indiana United Ways, and funding from Lilly Endowment Inc., the fund surpassed $6.6 million.

Fund leadership established an application, evaluation, and allocation process that ensured  critical community needs were met through the various phases of the crisis. At the close of the fund in September, more than $6.6 million had been distributed to assist with needs such as food, shelter, personal protective equipment, transportation, safety equipment, nonprofit operations contingencies, case-management collaborative efforts, and so much more. The recipients of the final $1 million collaborative Reimagine RFP have been announced and a list of them can be found here. Collectively, Crisis Response Fund grantees served more than 500,000 individuals.

On behalf of Fund leadership, committee members, and volunteers, we applaud our donors, our nonprofit partners, and the Greater Evansville Region for coming together to support our neighbors and communities in their time of greatest need.

To review the final Crisis Response Fund Report, click here.