The purpose of the Nonprofit Safety Net Program is to provide financial support to nonprofit agencies physically located in Hillsborough County that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and that are actively providing critical services to citizens of Hillsborough County, the City of Tampa, Plant City or Temple Terrace that are impacted by COVID-19.

Such eligible nonprofit agencies and services defined further below, are intended to address the health and safety of citizens impacted by COVID-19 to include vulnerable populations. The program will provide financial awards to such nonprofit agencies to help them respond to existing and emerging needs resulting from COVID-19 impacts and losses associated with the disruption of their operations, COVID-19 related mandates, and increased COVID-19 safety and health standards to help them continue their critical work in our communities. There is no minimum revenue amount required to be considered for financial assistance under this program.

Nonprofit financial awards can only be used to cover COVID-19 response expenses that have been, or will be incurred since March 3, 2021.

Approved agencies will receive, a one-time financial assistance award based on the following eligibility.

To qualify, a nonprofit agency must meet all the criteria below:

• Principally based within Hillsborough County, including the City of Tampa, Plant City, and Temple Terrace
• Provide essential safety net services including Medical Services, Congregate Living Safety Services, Food Services, Housing Stability Services, Training and Adult Education Services,  Child Care & Education Services, Elder Care Services, and Mental Health Services
• Active, open, and operating (in person or virtually)
• Registered as a 501(c)(3) for one full calendar year prior to applying for the award
• Fully licensed as a nonprofit, and up to date on tax payments/filings to include a recently filed IRS Form 990, an independently audited financial statement, or an independently reviewed financial statement
• Directly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic in at least one of the following manners:
  • Lost revenue due to pandemic-based causes, e.g., due to shutdowns, lost sponsorships, inability to hold fundraising events
  • Incurred unplanned costs to comply with safety and health standards and/or reopening requirements, e.g., modifying facilities for social distancing
  • Incurred unplanned costs for new programming designed to assist those impacted by the pandemic and its economic effects
  • Incurred unplanned costs for technology to enable virtual working
• Must provide a narrative explaining the impact of COVID-19 on the nonprofit’s operations
• Must attest to not using requested funds for the same costs for which previously received County CARES Act awards were used
• Must not have received or have been approved to receive County ARP funding via a separate initiative, project, or program

If your agency has been previously approved for or received funding from Hillsborough County under its American Rescue Plan program, your agency is ineligible for an award. For a list of ineligible agencies, click here.

For more information, please see the Hillsborough County’s Nonprofit Safety Net Funding Opportunity Webinar (Recorded on March 24, 2022).