Facebook Gives $350K in Emergency Funding to MCF, Sarpy Chamber
Facebook donated $350,000 to provide emergency funding to individuals, businesses, and organizations in need of economic relief in the region, with $100,000 earmarked for the Midlands Community Foundation (MCF; midlandscommunity.org), and $250,000 for the Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce (www.sarpychamber.org). At the onset of COVID-19, MCF moved quickly to establish the MCF Coronavirus Response Fund, which is providing emergency funding to nonprofit organizations and residents in Sarpy and Cass counties. The Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce Foundation Fund, meanwhile, is providing economic relief to small businesses—so the generous donation from Facebook will provide a tremendous boost to relief efforts to support the community when it needs it most.
“Since breaking ground on our Papillion Data Center in 2017, we’ve called Sarpy County home,” said Matt Sexton, community development regional manager for Facebook. “So we are happy to have the opportunity to support our community’s small businesses, nonprofits, and municipal organizations. Our hope is that the implementation of these relief grants will help these organizations rebuild and recover so they can continue to provide jobs, products, and services for Sarpy County.”
The Midlands Community Foundation funding will be used to provide food, supplies, prescriptions, healthcare, utility, and other financial help to the hardest-hit households and nonprofit organizations and government entities in Sarpy and Cass counties. In cooperation with local government and business partners, MCF will identify and grant money to community-based organizations and programs that have strong experience working to provide individuals and families with access to basic needs. To contribute, visit midlandscommunity.org and choose MCF Coronavirus Response Fund under DONATE NOW. To contribute by mail, send check payable to the MCF Coronavirus Response Fund, 217 North Jefferson St., Papillion, NE 68046.
Applications for small-business grants through the Sarpy Chamber Foundation became available on June 1. Eligible small businesses must have 50 or fewer employees, and the grants are open to both members and non-members of the Sarpy Chamber as long as the business is located in the County. Small businesses outside of Sarpy County must be Sarpy Chamber members to qualify. The Sarpy County Chamber of Commerce’s advisory committee will review all applications to determine the amounts given, to help as many businesses as possible. The application, along with additional COVID-19 resources, can be found online at www.sarpychamber.org/covid-19-resources. Call (402) 339-3050 for more information.