Rebuild! VA

 

 

 

The Rebuild VA Grant Fund is a program to help small businesses and non-profits whose normal operations were disrupted by COVID-19, including restaurants, brick and mortar retail, exercise and fitness facilities, personal care and personal grooming services, entertainment and public amusement establishments, and campgrounds.

Businesses and non-profits that are approved for a Rebuild VA grant may receive up to 3 times their average monthly eligible expenses up to a maximum of $10,000.

THE APPLICATION WILL BE AVAILABLE STARTING ON AUGUST 10, 2020

Who is eligible for the grant?

Applicants must meet the following eligibility criteria:

  1. The business or non-profit must be organized as one of the following:
    • Corporation (C-Corp), pass through entity (S-Corp, Partnership, LLC) , or other legal entity that is organized separately from the owner;
    • A 501(c)(3) organization or 501(c)(19) veterans organization;
    • A sole proprietorship; or
    • An independent contractor.
  2. The business or non-profit must also fall within one of the following businesses categories:
    • Restaurant and Beverage Services
      Restaurants, dining establishments, food courts, breweries, microbreweries, cideries, distilleries, wineries, tasting rooms, and farmers markets (or vendors within the farmers market)
    • Non-essential Brick and Mortar Retail
      Non-essential brick and mortar retail establishments include everything EXCEPT the following:

      • Grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retailers that sell food and beverage products or pharmacy products, including dollar stores, and department stores with grocery or pharmacy operations;
      • Medical, laboratory, and vision supply retailers;
      • Electronic retailers that sell or service cell phones, computers, tablets, and other communications technology;
      • Automotive parts, accessories, and tire retailers as well as automotive repair facilities;
      • Home improvement, hardware, building material, and building supply retailers;
      • Lawn and garden equipment retailers;
      • Beer, wine, and liquor stores;
      • Retail functions of gas stations and convenience stores;
      • Retail located within healthcare facilities;
      • Banks and other financial institutions with retail functions;
      • Pet and feed stores;
      • Printing and office supply stores; and
      • Laundromats and dry cleaners.
    • Fitness and Exercise Facilities
      Fitness centers, gymnasiums, recreation centers, swimming pools, indoor sports facilities, and indoor exercise facilities
    • Personal Care and Personal Grooming Services
      Beauty salons, barbershops, spas, massage practices, tanning salons, tattoo shops, and any other location where personal care or personal grooming services are performed
    • Entertainment and Public Amusement
      Theaters, performing arts centers, concert venues, museums, racetracks, historic horse racing facilities, bowling alleys, skating rinks, arcades, amusement parks, trampoline parks, fairs, arts and craft facilities, aquariums, zoos, escape rooms, indoor shooting ranges, public and private social clubs
    • Private Campgrounds and Overnight Summer Camps
  3. The business or non-profit must meet the following additional eligibility criteria:
    • Principal Place of Business is in Virginia
    • 25 or fewer employees
    • Gross revenue of less than $1.5 million in the last fiscal year
    • Operating prior to March 12, 2020
    • Currently in good standing with the Virginia State Corporation Commission
    • The applicant must engage in legal activity

The following applicants are ineligible for the Rebuild VA grant funds:

  • Applicants that are not individually owned and operated
  • Applicants that have already received CARES Act funding from any federal, state, regional or local agency or authority
  • Applicants that are delinquent on Virginia state income taxes and do not have a payment plan in place
  • Applicants that are lobbyists
  • An applicant, owner, or a principal of the business with 20 percent or greater ownership interest is more than sixty (60) days delinquent on child support obligations

Watch this video to learn more about how about Rebuild! VA.

The Rebuild VA grant will aid businesses whose normal operations were disrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The statewide program is capitalized with $70 million dollars, which will allow for assistance for approximately 7,000 applicants. These sessions will go over the eligibility requirements and documentation needed to apply when the application opens on August 10th.

Register for one of these webinars: How to Apply
– July 31st 12:00 noon
– Aug 4th 9:00 am
– Aug 4th 5:30 pm

Another Anonymous Donor Challenges Donations for COVID-19 Fund

The Community Foundation and The United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County are pleased to announce a second anonymous gift of $20,000 from a generous community member. The donor states, “Now is the time to give to support members of our community who have lost their jobs and don’t have a savings account to fall back on”. The donor encourages others to give and is offering this gift as a challenge. The donor will provide a dollar for dollar match, up to $20,000 for new gifts given to the COVID-19 Harrisonburg Rockingham Community Response Fund which means this could be an additional $40,000 to this Fund. The Community Foundation received and met its first $20,000 challenge from another generous anonymous donor. With both of these gifts, an additional $80,000 can be raised for our community.

“We are very grateful to both anonymous gifts and for each contribution that has helped us exceed the first challenge. To date the funding has been granted to local nonprofit organizations that are focused on basic essentials, access to food and access to safe shelter.  It has provided funding for nutrition drinks for the elderly, food supplies for those in need, vehicle repairs and gas cards for working low income individuals, hygiene items, rent assistance, and financial assistance to shelters for hotel bills for clients who need to be quarantined.” – Revlan Hill, Executive Director of The Community Foundation.

The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County and the United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County announced a joint partnership to raise funds for the COVID-19 Harrisonburg Rockingham Community Response Fund. Gifts may be mailed to The Community Foundation at PO Box 1068, Harrisonburg, VA 22803, or given online at tcf-stage.stage3.estlandhosting.com/.

$20,000 Challenge from Anonymous Donor

The Community Foundation announced $20,000 challenge from anonymous donor.

The Community Foundation has a fund holder that will provide a dollar for dollar match, up to $20,000 for new gifts given to the COVID-19 HR Community Response Fund which means this could be an additional $40,000 to this new Fund. We are very excited to share this news with the community and encourage everyone to consider giving to raise an additional $40,000 to the Fund.

When asked, why did you give to this Fund, an anonymous donor responded, “The need is great and there are a lot of people out there that don’t have the luxury to have savings to live on. We just wanted to help the community and challenge people to give to the COVID-19 Fund to help people who are hurting through no fault of their own”. They continue, “The reason we are doing the challenge is to get other people who are financially able to step up and assist the rest of the community”.

About a week ago, The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County and the United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County announced a joint partnership to raise funds for the COVID-19 HR Community Response Fund.  To date over $180,000 has been raised. This Fund will provide funding to community based nonprofit organizations that provide access to food and safe shelter. The first phase of funding will be sent out as early as this week.

GreatCommunityGive 2020 postponed until June

The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County has announced that the Great Community Give, slated for April 22nd has been rescheduled for June 24th, 2020.  The GCG2020 Planning Committee considered as much relevant information as possible to unanimously agree that delaying the event was necessary.

“We have to give consideration to minimizing health risks to the nonprofit staff and volunteers until COVID-19 cases begin to subside. GCG uses countless volunteers on the day of the event.  While the giving occurs online, it is also a social occasion on many levels.   For the purposes of planning, we have chosen June 24th as an optimistic date and hope it turns out to be the case. “– Revlan Hill, Executive Director of The Community Foundation.

“Although a difficult decision, postponing the event is best for everyone. We feel we can have more excitement and enthusiasm by gathering again as groups.  We believe the Great Community Give will be more successful for the nonprofits and less risky for health reasons later in June.  We owe it to the nonprofits to help them raise the most money we can” – Amanda Bomfim, Program Officer, The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County.

The Great Community Give is in its third year as a community-wide day of online giving to 100 local nonprofits. The Planning Committee hopes that in moving the date, the goal of raising $600,000 for local nonprofits can be achieved. Planning for GCG2020 will continue through the new date of June 24.

 

In the meantime, The Community Foundation is actively encouraging donors to remember nonprofits in this time of social-distancing requirements and will continue its grant making to nonprofit organizations. Efforts to support nonprofit organizations during the COVID-19 crisis are ongoing. The Community Foundation and United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County have jointly announced the establishment of the COVID-19 HR Community Response Fund. Grants from the fund will help support front line human services organizations that have deep roots in Harrisonburg and Rockingham County and strong experience working with those vulnerable in our community.

 

“We encourage everyone to write a check or go online and give to your favorite community based nonprofit organization today.   Our community is well known for its generosity of giving and we don’t have to wait for the Great Community Give on June 24th to make that contribution.   “– Revlan Hill, Executive Director of The Community Foundation.

 

Please contact Amanda  Bomfim at 540-432-3863 or amanda@tcfhr.org for information and interviews.  To learn about Great Community Give, visit www.greatcommunitygive.org

Donate Today to the COVID-19 HR Community Response Fund

The United Way of Harrisonburg and Rockingham County and The Community Foundation of Harrisonburg & Rockingham County have announced the establishment of the COVID-19 HR Community Response Fund. “In unprecedented times such as these, a collaborative effort to support the most vulnerable members of our community is essential,” explains Laura Toni-Holsinger, United Way Executive Director. This fund will strategically deploy resources to assist nonprofits in helping build their capacity to respond to this crisis. Phase 1 grant funding will focus to support 501(c)3 nonprofit organizations providing access to food and access to safe shelter. Grants will help fund front line human services organizations that have deep roots in the community and strong experience working with those vulnerable in our community.

A special team will guide the distribution of funds. This is an opportunity for everyone in our community to support those impacted by COVID-19. Both United Way and fund holders of The Community Foundation will provide seed money for the fund. “We are deeply appreciative for the generosity of our fund holders and welcome everyone in our community who is able to be a part of this joint venture,” says Revlan Hill, Executive Director of The Community Foundation.

One hundred percent of the funds raised will go to support recovery efforts. With intention, this new fund is established with flexibility to ensure that these resources may support our local communities as conditions, circumstances, and needs change throughout this crisis. Updates will be included on both organizations’ websites as soon as they are available and we will be completely transparent regarding the use of these funds.

The situation is fluid and the prioritization of needs will change. A group of community leaders will work strategically with local nonprofit organizations to provide grants to agencies to meet both immediate and long-term needs related to the impact of the virus in the Harrisonburg and Rockingham County area. One hundred percent of contributions to this fund will be distributed to nonprofit organizations swiftly as needs arise.

No Administration Fee – The Community Foundation has waived its administration fee to manage the COVID-19 HR Community Response Fund.

How to Contribute to the COVID-19 HR Community Response Fund

Checks may be made payable to The Community Foundation for “COVID-19 HR Response Fund,” may be mailed to: P O Box 1068, Harrisonburg, VA 22803. Click HERE to make an online gift. Normal credit card fees apply to on-line gifts.

Who Is Eligible for Funding?

While the Fund is not able to provide grants to individuals, some community-based organizations that have experience and history of providing people and families with services and support will be eligible.