About the Community
Emergency Response Fund
Take a moment to learn more about the Community Emergency Response Fund below and what we are doing to help those impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.
A Message from Our President Laurie Andrews
“The steps that are being taken due to the onset of COVID-19 in Teton County demonstrate our community’s generous spirit and strong partnerships. Jackson is a resilient community, and we will withstand this situation together.”
Purpose of the Fund
As a preparedness measure on March 13, 2020, the Community Foundation committed an initial $150,000 to this Fund, which was matched by generous donors, bringing the total to more than $300,000. Hansjörg Wyss, a philanthropist and Teton County resident, committed a lead gift of $750,000 to the Response Fund, helping to seed the efforts put forward by the Community Foundation.
As of early January 2021, the Response Fund reached a landmark $5 million dollars thanks to the philanthropic generosity of our community. More than $3 million dollars has been deployed as grants to more than 50 nonprofits providing vital, front line services in response to the pandemic in Teton County.
Ongoing Response to COVID-19 in our Community
With our community increasingly affected by COVID-19, the Foundation is taking a number of initial steps to proactively mitigate its impact:
- Supporting local nonprofits providing essential front line services and protecting at-risk populations. Organizations seeking funding can submit their requests here.
- Providing grant support to local nonprofits whose fundamental ability to operate is critically impaired by issues related to COVID-19. Affected organizations should complete this form to request funding.
- Deadlines for Community Foundation outstanding grant reports have been extended by 6 months.
Helping the Hole Community
The Community Emergency Response Fund is addressing community needs in coordination with local front line agencies. Since launching in mid-March, the Emergency Response Fund has granted a total of more than $3 million dollars to more than 50 local organizations. Relief funds are being disbursed daily to nonprofits, as the Community Foundation receives requests for assistance.
“In the Emergency Management profession, there is this concept known as ‘whole community.’ It means that government alone cannot solve problems brought about by disasters. This couldn’t be more true for the current COVID crisis. Whether it is funding contact tracers for the Health Department, buying protective equipment for front line workers, or being the organization entrusted to the generous monetary donations made towards defeating COVID, the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole has been a stalwart partner in disaster response and recovery, and will continue to be into the foreseeable future as the need is not going away.”
-Rich Ochs, Coordinator, Teton County Emergency
Management.