The Community Foundations COVID-19 Grant Program was established in the 2020 legislative session under the Community Foundations Act. The program is administered by the Mississippi Development Authority (MDA), which has issued rules governing the program’s operations. Program funding, a total of $4 million for nonprofit entities and $4 million for food pantries, was allocated through the original program to the state’s seven community foundations. Through a recent amendment, the application process for Phase 2 of this grant program will go live on Wednesday, June 16, 2021.
The amendment allows for the Community Foundation of Washington County to continue to oversee the Cares Act funding allocated through the Community Foundations Act. Current funding is only available to organizations that qualify as a “food pantry,” as defined in the Act. Food pantries who were previously funded are allowed to apply again: and in Phase 2, there are no limitations to the grant awards that can be awarded to eligible food pantries. All previous funding designated for nonprofit entities was dispersed to qualified organizations who submitted grant applications and were approved by the original deadline of December 30, 2020.
The Community Foundation of Washington County will continue to be responsible for reviewing applications for four counties in the Delta region, including Humphreys, Issaquena, Sharkey and Washington.
Applications for a grant must be completed online through the grant’s portal accessible at www.mscaresgrant.com. All applications, reimbursement requests and supporting documentation must be filed no later than 5:00 pm CT on Friday, January 15, 2022, but as funding is extremely limited and grants will be approved on a first-come, first-served basis, earlier applications are encouraged.
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CLICK HERE TO APPLY
Key Questions
New Applicants
- Can my food pantry apply even if I did not apply for the first round of CARES grant funding?
Yes. As long as your organization meets the food pantry definition and has eligible expenditures with proper documentation, then you may apply.
Previous Applicants
- Can I use my same log-in information if I applied previously for the first round of funding?
Yes. You will access www.mscaresgrant.com. You can reset your password if you have forgotten this since the first round. - Can I apply for the second round of funding even if I received funding the first round?
Yes. Please make sure you do not submit for the same eligible expenditures you submitted that were approved. - What if I started an application for the first round but never submitted the application? Can I submit this application?
The CARES grant extension is set up as a new “process” or application in the system. You can copy and paste over the content from your original draft, but you will have to complete a new application in order to apply for this funding.
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