COVID-19 Updates

October 2020

Dear Grantees and Our Extended Community,

Since our update in April 2020 (click on link below), we have continued to process emergency funding for purposes ranging from operating support to special project support during the pandemic. In total this year, we have awarded a little over $190,000 to various organizations in response to COVID-19. The following list is the last set of grants to organizations:

University Hospitals Rainbow Babies and Children’s expansion of their telehealth/e-health technology to allow for patients to safely have appointments both outside AND inside the hospital, thereby saving on the use of PPE.
Women Have Options to cover the expenses for patients seeking abortions during this time of uncertainty of what abortions are “elective”. Expenses would include things like transportation, overnight stays, access to medical (Plan B) abortions, and increased tele-health technology.
Cleveland Metropolitan School District (CMSD) to support access for remote learning for CMSD students (hot spots, devices, etc.)
Suite 1300 Services for the “Cover or Covid” mask initiative with the 4F Foundation

The Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation continues to hope that you and your family are healthy and safe during this very trying time. It is times like these that we recognize all the things we might take for granted: things like our health, our education, our paychecks, our communities. Your well-being and that of our community are the most important things.

Sincerely,

Char Fowler, Trustee

Chuck Fowler, Trustee

Chann Fowler-Spellman, Trustee

Holley Fowler Martens, Trustee

April 2020

Dear Grantees and Our Extended Community,

The Char and Chuck Fowler Family Foundation hopes that you and your family are healthy and safe during this very trying time. It is times like these that we recognize all the things we might take for granted: things like our health, our education, our paychecks, our communities. Your well-being and that of our community are the most important things.

To our grantees:

We recognize that this is a stressful time for our grantees as you are forced to deal with challenges for which no one was truly prepared. It is our wish that some flexibility from us can relieve you from some of the obligations you have with us as one of your funders:

If you have an active grant with us, regardless of the purpose for which your grant was approved, you may amend the purpose for the grant to be for general operating support. Please know that we trust that you will spend the remaining funds of your grant where it is most needed.

If you have a final progress report due to us within the next 6 months, please remove it from your list of things to do. While we use your reports to help guide us in our grantmaking, the priority at this time is the health of your employees, your organization, and of the people you serve. The due date for your report has been pushed back 6 months. Please reach out if you need an additional extension.

If you will be receiving a payment on a multi-year grant this year, the contingency of our receiving a report prior to the payment release has been lifted. We ask that you still submit a final report at the end of the grant period next year. However, any mid-grant report that was listed as a contingency this year has been deleted.

To our entire community:

So far, the Foundation has processed over $135,000 in emergency funding for purposes ranging from operating support to special project support, including:

Arts Cleveland – partnership with Noteworthy Credit Union where zero-interest loans are offered to local artists to support them with their living expenses during this time of little-to-no income To inquire about applying, please click here.
HFLA of Northeast Ohio – for their COVID-19 emergency fund to provide interest-free loans to individuals in need. To inquire about applying, please click here.
Social Venture Partners Cleveland – to establish WeCareForCLE.org, a website for nonprofits to be connected with volunteers and donors to help them during this crisis, and to report on the effects this crisis has had on their organizations. Please visit our webpage to learn more about this partnership project. We encourage all our grantees to participate in this resource.

As we all search for ways to support our communities during this trying time, we at the Fowler Family Foundation ask that everyone continues to share ideas and resources with each other. Together we can continue to make a difference for our grantees and the communities they serve!

Sincerely,

Char Fowler, Trustee

Chuck Fowler, Trustee

Chann Fowler-Spellman, Trustee

Holley Fowler Martens, Trustee

Bridget De Leon, Director of Grantmaking