COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund in coastal SC receives $500,000 challenge grant to spur same amount

MURRELLS INLET, S.C.: The COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund, a collaborative effort with Waccamaw Community Foundation and other organizations across coastal counties of South Carolina, has received a $500,000 challenge donation to spur more donations up to the same amount by April 20.
The generous gift is from Blackbaud founder Tony Bakker, his wife, Linda Bakker, and their two children, James Bakker and Katy Bakker McKee.
“We think that many of the outstanding nonprofit organizations in our area that support the most vulnerable amongst us will be overwhelmed and will need all the financial support they can get,” Tony Bakker said.
“Every dollar we collect goes directly to the nonprofits working on providing medical care, food access, financial support and more to those most impacted by the Coronavirus outbreak in our region,” said Angel Johnson-Brebner, director of Waccamaw Community Foundation.  “We encourage those who are able to make a donation to the fund to maximize these efforts.”
The fund has awarded one of its first grants in Horry County to support hospitality workers who are out of work due to the coronavirus outbreak. Conway Downtown Alive has received $15,000 to provide direct, one-time relief payments to up to 70 employees of independent hospitality businesses in downtown Conway. The central business district along the Waccamaw River has about 20 hospitality and entertainment businesses that have shut down or cut most staff.
A record number of South Carolinians have applied for unemployment benefits amid the pandemic, with Horry County leading the state with nearly 15,000 unemployment claims in the last two weeks of March, according to the U.S. Department of Labor Statistics. With a processing backlog at the S.C. Department of Employment and Workforce, workers are expected to rely more heavily on nonprofit services to make ends meet.
The COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund is set up to fast-track the application process for nonprofits in need of more support to meet the increased demand. Grants are deployed as quickly as possible on a rolling basis to help meet community needs as they emerge.
The first round of grants totaling $90,000 has been awarded to three other nonprofits expanding food access and shelter for displaced children across the coastal region: the Lowcountry Food Bank, Carolina Youth Development Center and Second Helpings. The second round of grants totaling $100,000 will be awarded in the next few days.
About the COVID-19 Relief & Recovery Fund
The Covid-19 Relief & Recovery Fund is a regional, collaborative effort led by Coastal Community Foundation and supported by Black River United Way, the Chapin Foundation, Frances P. Bunnelle Foundation, the Gaylord & Dorothy Donnelley Foundation, Trident United Way, United Way of Horry County, United Way of the Lowcountry and Waccamaw Community Foundation.
This fund is designed to make grants only to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations, and groups fiscally sponsored by a 501(c)(3) organization. This is a rolling process, and applications will be accepted as they come in. Donations can be made securely online with a credit card here.
About Waccamaw Community Foundation
Founded in 1999, Waccamaw Community Foundation builds sustainable philanthropy to strengthen the communities in Horry and Georgetown Counties by connecting people with the causes they care about and providing personalized service to donors and regional nonprofits. To learn more, visit www.waccamawcf.org or call (843) 357-4483.