The Niagara Community Foundation (NCF) is providing nearly $300,000 in funding to support our most vulnerable citizens amid the rapidly changing situation created by the COVID-19 novel coronavirus.

The Foundation will be issuing an emergency Strategic Initiatives Grant of $25,000 in response to the United Way Niagara’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. As well, the David S. Howes Fund – the Foundation’s largest fund – will be issuing $250,000 to the Niagara Health Foundation to help purchase essential equipment. This will be topped up by an additional $20,000 from the Niagara-on-the-Lake Healthcare Community Fund and the Niagara Falls Healthcare Flow-Through Fund, for a total of $270,000.

“COVID-19 is having an impact on charities in every sector that we serve. The work they do is more vital now than ever before and the Foundation recognizes how important it is for us to support these agencies,” said NCF Executive Director Bryan Rose. “We’ll continue to work with our charity partners on the front lines to learn how best we can support them, now and in the long term.”

The grant to the Niagara Health Foundation, whose mission is to raise and steward funds to support high-quality patient care, education and research at Niagara Health is much needed to support local hospitals in their fight against the pandemic.

“We are grateful to the Niagara Community Foundation for their leadership to support urgently needed equipment for our front-line health care workers. The donation will directly impact patients being cared for with COVID-19 in our community. Thank you for providing funds to support Niagara Health at this critical time in our community,” said Roger Ali, President & CEO of the Niagara Health Foundation.

The grant to the United Way’s Fund provides immediate support to charitable service providers across Niagara who are providing essential resources related to basic needs.

NCF has reached out to other local funders. Thus far, the Branscombe Family Foundation has joined the Niagara Community Foundation with their own pledge of $25,000 to the United Way. Rose stated, “We have and will continue to collaborate with charities and other funders to support the emerging needs of our community.”

The grant to the NHF will allow Niagara Health to purchase essential equipment, such as new ventilators, as well as a number of new beds. The impact of this funding will be felt across Niagara in providing our frontline healthcare workers with the equipment they need to ensure our community remains safe and cared for.

Created in 2000, the Niagara Community Foundation has raised over $62 million and has granted in excess of $15 million to charities working in the arts, heritage, environment, social services, health, education and community development sectors