Grants of $10,000 to $50,000 are now available to 501(c)(3) community-based organizations and faith-based organizations (and other groups with a 501(c)(3) fiscal sponsor) who serve the communities impacted by COVID-19 in Massachusetts. The goal of COVID-19 Community Grants is to reduce COVID-19 infections, morbidity, and mortality among Black, Latinx, and other people of color in target communities including Brockton, Chelsea, Everett, Framingham, Holyoke, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Malden, Methuen, New Bedford, Randolph, Revere, Salem, Saugus, Springfield, Winthrop, Worcester, and specific neighborhoods in Boston. Grant applications are due October 14, 2020, at 9:00 am.
Racial and ethnic inequities contribute to disproportionate COVID-19 burden in communities of color. Factors including larger household size and larger proportion of food service workers, foreign-born non-citizens, non-high school graduates may explain some of the disproportionate burden in Latinx communities in Massachusetts. These same factors do not appear to explain disproportionate infection and death rates in Black populations, suggesting that structural racism may be a contributing factor.1 COVID-19 Community Grants are intended to engage community- and faith-based organizations in the development and delivery of effective messages and to further support hard-hit communities with education, training, and funding to effectively meet their communities’ specific needs. Grant activities will build upon existing local and state efforts, including the Commonwealth’s new public messaging campaign, and be coordinated with the COVID-19 Enforcement and Intervention Team.
Potential applicants can attend an informational webinar on September 30th 1-2pm or view the recording, participate in virtual “office hours” for additional application support, and submit questions. Learn more about this grant opportunity made possible by the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and administered by Health Resources in Action.
[1][1] Figueroa, J. F., Wadhera, R. K., Lee, D., Yeh, R. W. & Sommers, B. D. (2020). Community-level factors associated with racial and ethnic disparities in COVID-19 rates in Massachusetts. Health Affairs. https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2020.01040
