COVID-19 FAQs
What is the COVID-19 Response Fund?
The COVID–19 Response Fund was immediately established by the Telluride Foundation as the coronavirus impacts began affecting our communities. The Response Fund focuses on 1) Good Neighbor Fund hardship grants to vulnerable individuals and families, including immigrants who may not have access to other programs ; 2) emergency grants to nonprofits, particularly health and human service organizations needing to increase services due to coronavirus; and 3) students requiring internet access or infrastructure to participate in on-line learning.
What portion of my donation to the Response Fund goes to administration?
None! 100% of the donation goes to the Fund; there are no administrative fees.
Is the Response Fund a secure and well-managed program?
The Fund is based on the Telluride Foundation’s 20-year record of meeting community needs, grant making, and managing funds. The Good Neighbor Fund has been operating for over 15 years. The regional Response Fund was ready to deploy funds to families and individuals struggling with the sudden loss of employment and emergency grants to health clinics and nonprofits dealing with basic human needs.
Are Ouray and San Miguel counties the main needed relief counties?
The Foundation has expanded the Good Neighbor Fund to ensure families and individuals in San Miguel, Ouray, and west Montrose counties, as well as Rico, are supported, especially during these uncertain times due to the coronavirus. In addition, generous donors in Ouray County have created the Ouray County Response Fund, which provides Good Neighbor Fund grants specifically to Ouray County residents.
How will the distributions be handled?
Good Neighbor applicants must complete an application, which is then reviewed by trained staff who help the applicant access additional resources they may qualify for, in addition to a Good Neighbor grant.
Nonprofit emergency grants also go through an application process; an Emergency Grants Committee made up of Foundation Board members then reviews those applications.
Is the “Stimulate the Response” campaign part of the Response Fund? Yes!
The Telluride Foundation has launched the “Stimulate the Response” campaign to ask community members to consider contributing their stimulus checks to the regional COVID-19 Response Fund.
Where can someone donate or find more information?
-Donate to the Telluride Foundation’s regional COVID-19 Response Fund: https://telluridefoundation.org/responsefund/
-Community resources and how to apply to the Fund: https://telluridefoundation.org/covid-19-community-resources/
-Ouray County Response fund: https://telluridefoundation.org/ouray-county-response-fund/