Dear Members,

In a few weeks, thanks to your generosity and commitment, Many Hands will grant more than $250,000 to four local nonprofits. Based on your votes, one organization will receive the 2020 Many Hands $100,000 Impact Grant, and three organizations will receive Partner Grants of at least $50,000 each.

Response to COVID-19

We recognize that the world has changed dramatically since the launch of this grant cycle, and we have spent many hours thinking about how Many Hands can best serve our community as the social and economic cost of the pandemic grows. After considering a wide range of options, we believe firmly that we will have the greatest impact on the needs uncovered by COVID-19 by continuing to support the nonprofits chosen by our members at a truly significant level.

Without knowing who this year’s grantees will be, we know that they will all serve communities–women, children, and families in need–that have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic. We know that demand for the services they provide, in education, health, housing, or job readiness, is rising sharply or will do so in the months to come. We know further that organizations in all fields are moving quickly and creatively to meet their clients’ most basic needs.

Today, these trusted community partners need our support more than ever, and we intend to keep faith with them–and with you–by honoring the terms of the grant process that we established last fall.

Next Steps

Regretfully, we will be unable to meet in person to complete the grant cycle, but we invite you to participate in finalist review and voting according to the following schedule:

  • Monday, May 4 – All members will receive an email with the finalists’ proposals and program updates and an invitation to submit questions for the finalists through an online form.
  • Wednesday, May 6 – Deadline for submitting questions.
  • Monday, May 11 – All members will receive an email with links to recorded presentations and Q&A sessions with the executive directors of all four finalists and an invitation to vote via SurveyMonkey for one organization to receive the 2020 Many Hands $100,00 Impact Grant.
  • Thursday, May 14 – Deadline for voting.
  • Friday, May 15 – Announcement of grantees.

Your Feedback

We welcome your questions about this process at [email protected]. We also invite your thoughts and suggestions for future grantmaking. As we look forward to the next grant cycle, we know that our community will feel the impact of this pandemic for a long time to come, and we are committed to exploring how Many Hands can be most effective in this environment.

These are uncharted waters, but we are comforted to be navigating them together with this group of smart, committed women. Together, we will continue to make a difference.

Thank you more than ever for your support.

With warm regards,
The Many Hands Board