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Food Security Grant Program

CARES Act Community Development Block Grant

Please note:

The funding parameters provided for this grant by the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) are still evolving.

ECCF is merely the steward of these dollars and has been working hard to adhere to policies and procedure put before us. A number of outstanding questions ECCF put forward remain unanswered.

With that, please see the following updates:

Unfortunately the announcements of awards and denials (previously planned for February 25) is temporarily on pause
The deadline for submission remains Monday February 21
As soon as we hear back and confirm the funding parameters, we will update the timeline

ECCF has partnered with the Massachusetts Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) to administer the CARES Act Community Development Block Grant (“CDBG-CV”) Food Security Program in Essex County.

This grant will afford ECCF the ability to direct vital resources to support individuals and households throughout Essex County who are experiencing facing food insecurities as a result of COVID-19.

Through this work, ECCF’s goal is to significantly impact vulnerable and underserved populations across Essex County who are living below 80% of the applicable area median income and households with no, or very limited, access to sources of economic relief.

This support will be granted to qualified 501 c 3 organizations working in the food security space.

QUALIFIED USES OF GRANTS

Food
Labor, supplies, materials, and other costs required to run a food provision program such as rent, utilities, salaries, administrative costs, etc.
Mechanisms to deliver or store food security assistance such as trucks, freezers, or other small capital items so long as they are tied to the provision of the service

REQUIREMENTS & PRIORITIES

Each program funded must have the capacity to complete monthly data reporting to be reported to the CDBG
Each program funded must be able to demonstrate that at least 51% of the persons being provided assistance qualifies as having low or moderate income (up to 80% of area median income).
Organizations funded will be required to demonstrate and keep records of the to demonstrate income eligibility of recipients. This, pending the type of grant can include:
- Self-attestation form of individual recipients
- Low Mod Income Area (LMA) – e.g. neighborhood service center that is limited to serving a particular primarily residential area documented by US Census data to be predominately (at least 51%) low and moderate income
- Particular population – e.g. public housing residents, the program must be designed to serve the particular population exclusively
- Categorical eligibility, i.e. Recipients of other income eligible programs automatically deemed eligible – e.g. school lunches, fuel assistance, rental voucher program
Activities must meet applicable CDBG-CV requirements, which includes that a public service must be either:
A new service; or a quantifiable increase in the level of a service above that which has been provided as a result of COVID-19. This requirement is intended to prevent the substitution of CDBG funds for recent support of public services by the grant recipient using local or state government funds.
There must be documentation that the public service prepares for, responds to or prevents the impacts of COVID-19.
All costs must be reasonable.
Each program must be able to demonstrate that funds are not being duplicated to recipients

ZOOM SESSIONS

Zoom Session 1:
Tuesday January 25, 2022
12 – 1 PM
Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 860 2481 0560
Passcode: CDBG

Watch the January 25 recording here

View the January 25 deck here

Zoom Session 2:
Thursday January 27, 2022
12 – 1 PM
Zoom Link
Meeting ID: 829 1065 4049
Passcode: CDBG2

Watch the January 27 recording here

View the January 27 deck here

REQUEST AMOUNT

Grantees can apply for between $25,000 – 100,000
Grantees will be able to utilize up to 10% for administrative purposes so long as it is tied to the provision of the service

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION AND GUIDANCE

Organizations who received prior COVID-19 funding or other ECCF Fund funding are eligible to apply
These grants are designed to be utilized within a period of 12 months (1 years)
Based upon the charitable structure of the Essex County COVID-19 Response Fund, our grants are limited to 501c3 nonprofit organizations, groups fiscally sponsored by a 501c3 nonprofit organization, or other charitable organizations able to receive a tax-deductible contribution, such as schools, faith-based organizations, and other public entities or municipalities that can demonstrate charitable purpose.
We are not able to fund individuals or businesses directly, labor unions, or other 501c4, 501c5, and 501c6 organizations.

In addition, grants will not be awarded:

To individuals
For sectarian or religious purposes. Grants may only be used for non-conditional relief work and available to all qualified applicants without religious obligation
For political purposes
For debt or deficit reduction
For capital campaigns for buildings, land acquisition, or endowment
To support academic research