Community Foundation Tampa Bay commits $1.2M to hurricane relief

Tampa, Fla. (October 2, 2024) -- The Community Foundation Tampa Bay is committing $1.2M to ongoing Hurricane Helene relief and recovery efforts. To inspire additional donations, a portion of this commitment will be used to match grants from Community Foundation Tampa Bay fundholders.

The grants will fund nonprofits that are providing immediate relief, such as food and shelter, along with supporting ongoing recovery efforts, such as housing and job placement.

“We are deeply saddened by the catastrophic losses so many of our neighbors have suffered from Hurricane Helene. As the community’s foundation, we serve a key role in recovery by supporting nonprofits who aid impacted families with the financial resources that will help them continue their vitally important work,” said Marlene Spalten, President and CEO of the Community Foundation Tampa Bay. “By connecting philanthropists to our nonprofits, we can together bring back our communities, returning people to their homes and their work.

Nonprofits affected by Hurricane Helene can request support through the Community Foundation’s Critical Needs List, an always-active list of nonprofits with unexpected, unbudgeted and urgent needs.

Nonprofits can request financial support for post-hurricane increases in demand for its services, repairs to buildings and facilities, interruptions in operations and other unexpected challenges. on the Critical Need Request Form.

Those who wish to support nonprofit efforts can view the Critical Needs List and donate to an organization in need. Click on the button for "Hurricane Helene related" needs to see only hurricane-related requests. Those who give to a project on the Critical Needs List through funds held at Community Foundation will have a portion of their support matched.

In addition, the Community Foundation has activated the Tampa Bay Rapid Response Fund, which is a trusted and reliable way to make tax-deductible donations to address emergency situations in our community, including the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. The Community Foundation will distribute the funds to organizations operating locally to address the aftermath of Hurricane Helene.

About the Community Foundation Tampa Bay

The Community Foundation Tampa Bay (CFTB) is the leading philanthropic investor in Tampa Bay. Founded in 1990, Community Foundation Tampa Bay connects philanthropists, nonprofits, business and community leaders for fundamental change in Citrus, Hernando, Hillsborough, Pasco and Pinellas counties. Over the past 30 years, Community Foundation Tampa Bay and its donors have fostered collaboration, sought creative solutions and invested more than $420 million in nonprofit organizations to help our community thrive. Learn more at CFTampaBay.org.