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Long Beach Coronavirus Relief Fund Exceeds $1,000,000 and Expands Priorities Funded

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The City of Long Beach, in partnership with the Long Beach Community Foundation, has raised more than $1,000,000 from members of the community, businesses and family foundations to address coronavirus-related issues in Long Beach. Approximately half of the amount raised has already been granted into the community to address the current public health crisis, and the momentum continues this week with updated priority funding announced.

“Long Beach residents, businesses, and foundations, have risen to the occasion to help our city during this health crisis,” said Mayor Robert Garcia. “We are seeing unprecedented levels of compassion during these difficult times and I am so proud of the work that is being done through the non-profits to support our community.”

The Coronavirus Relief Fund began accepting donations on March 18, 2020 via credit card, text-to-give, PayPal and check contributions from public donors. The Long Beach Community Foundation promptly began collecting donations while simultaneously developing a program to distribute the funds quickly back into the community to support five defined funding priorities which include:

  • Serving low-income individuals affected by COVID-19 to pay for critical expenses; 
  • Microloans and/or funds to small businesses affected by COVID-19 to pay for critical expenses and adapt business models during this crisis;
  • Providing emergency funds for workers laid off as a result of COVID-19;
  • Providing assistance to individuals experiencing homelessness for sheltering, food, sanitation supplies to mitigate the spread COVID-19, and to quarantine as a result of COVID-19 exposure, and
  • Providing food and critical supply delivery to those who are home-bound.

Additional funding priorities were added today to continue to support the most pressing current needs in Long Beach:

  • Support for Emergency Health Workers – Grants to nonprofits who can assist community clinics and hospitals responding to increased patient flow, triaging those who are sick, exposed or in need of testing, and to support isolation and quarantine sites being established and operated in Long Beach.
  • Support for Mental Health & Domestic Violence Sheltering – Grants to nonprofits who will support existing mental health and domestic violence services that need to expand due to increased demand from impacts of the coronavirus.

“While Federal and State assistance programs were being developed, the Long Beach Community Foundation set into motion both a funding stream and a process for quick deployment of resources,” said Long Beach Community Foundation President & CEO Marcelle Epley. “Careful advanced planning, an in-depth knowledge of the community and its nonprofits helped launch this program efficiently, which is benefiting thousands of Long Beach residents right now where the need is the greatest.”

More than $475,000 has been distributed to 31 nonprofits that are keeping families fed, sheltering people experiencing homelessness, providing key resources to businesses and supporting fragile populations quarantined during this public health crisis. Individual organizations are awarded up to $20,000 each, and the grant application process will be available for as long as funding allows.

To make a contribution: 

  • Text: Text “SupportLB” to 501-55 and follow the prompts to donate.
  • PayPal: Use PayPal online or the smartphone application to @SupportLB.
  • Credit Card: Visit longbeachcf.org to fill out the secure online form.
  • Check: Check donations may be mailed to Long Beach Community Foundation, 400 Oceangate, Suite 800, Long Beach, CA 90802. Please write Long Beach Coronavirus Relief Fund in the memo section of your check.

For the latest information on COVID-19, with details on all that the City of Long Beach is doing to keep our residents safe, visit: longbeach.gov/COVID19 and follow @LongBeachCity on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

About the Long Beach Disaster Relief Fund

In 2018, the Long Beach Community Foundation and the City of Long Beach established the Long Beach Disaster Relief Fund for the purpose of providing funding to 501(c)3 non-profit organizations and governmental and educational institutions for the benefit of Long Beach residents suffering the impacts of disasters.

About the Long Beach Community Foundation

The Long Beach Community Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, public organization with more than $55 million in assets and 176 charitable funds. It was established in 1996 to make strategic grants to nonprofits and assist individual donors with their philanthropic goals today and through planned giving. Fees charged to manage charitable funds at the Foundation are invested directly back into the community. LBCF’s mission is to initiate positive change for Long Beach through charitable giving, stewardship, and strategic grant making with a vision of being the preeminent steward of endowments serving the needs of Long Beach in perpetuity. LBCF operations are led by President & CEO Marcelle Epley and oversight is provided by Board Chair Gary DeLong, Vice Chair Robert Stemler, and Board members Michele Dobson, Bob Foster, Tony Gales, Mark Guillen, Donita Joseph, Annette Kashiwabara, Steve Keesal, Kevin Peterson, Frank Newell, Suzanne Nosworthy, and Judy Ross.  

About the City of Long Beach

Home to approximately 480,000 people, the multiple award-winning and innovative City of Long Beach offers all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods nestled together along the California coast. As a full-service charter city, Long Beach is home to the Queen Mary, Aquarium of the Pacific, several museums and theaters, a highly-rated school district, Long Beach Airport, the Port of Long Beach, as well as many award-winning City departments such as Health, Parks, Recreation and Marine, Development Services and more. The City also has a highly-respected university and city college, two historic ranchos, five hospitals, five golf courses, 170 parks, miles of beaches, marinas, bike paths, and a Bike Share program.

  • ENGLISH: Due to the level of urgency and frequently updated information, the City of Long Beach is using Google Translate to share COVID-19 information in multiple languages.
  • SPANISH: Debido al nivel de urgencia y la constante actualización de información, la Ciudad de Long Beach está utilizando Google Translate para compartir información de COVID-19 en varios idiomas.
  • KHMER: ដោយសារកម្រិតនៃភាពអាសន្ន និងការវិវត្តន៍ពត៌មានទាន់ហេតុការណ៏ ទីក្រុងឡុងប៊ិចកំពុងប្រើប្រាស់ កម្មវិធីបកប្រែហ្គូហ្គល ដើម្បីចែករំលែកព័ត៌មានស្តីពីវីរុស COVID-19 ជាច្រើនភាសា។