Last Updated April 16, 2020.
The Nevada COVID-19 Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force is a public-private partnership overseen by Gov. Steve Sisolak’s office and the Nevada Health Response Center. The task force will oversee the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund in partnership with Nevada Community Foundation. The Fund will assist with the State’s response, relief and recovery efforts. The task force is headed by former MGM CEO Jim Murren, who was recently appointed by Gov. Sisolak to lead the state’s recovery efforts. Nevada Community Foundation is serving as fiscal agent for the fund.
Given the overwhelming need for personal protective equipment (PPE), ventilators and testing supplies, the current focus and purpose of the fund has narrowed to include only the following:
- To make grants and payments to assist the State of Nevada and its political subdivisions in responding to COVID-19;
- To provide assistance and supplies to first responders and healthcare providers; and
- To take such actions and make such payments as Nevada Community Foundation and the Governor’s Task Force determine appropriate to respond to the COVID-19 emergency.
For more information on the Nevada COVID-19 Response, Relief, and Recovery Task Force, please go to the official task force website at nvc19.org.
“I am deeply appreciative of Gov. Sisolak’s leadership as we work to assemble a robust and comprehensive team to help Nevada prepare for, respond to and recover from the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Murren. “The Fund will help to ensure our state has the resources it needs to effectively deal with this crisis. It will take all of us to prevail. Collectively, we can generate the funding necessary to help protect and support the citizens of our great state and put Nevada back on track once the crisis has passed.”
“We are honored and humbled to partner with Gov. Sisolak, Jim Murren and a host of stakeholders, nonprofits and partners to help Nevada recover from the COVID-19 virus,” said Gian Brosco, president and CEO, Nevada Community Foundation. “Unprecedented in scope and impact, this global pandemic will have far reaching effects on our state that can only be overcome if we work together. We are committed to doing all we can to support the mission and efforts of the task force and the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.”
ABOUT THE TASK FORCE
The Nevada COVID-19 Task Force is a group of business leaders and community members appointed by Governor Sisolak, led by Jim Murren, driven to rally the resources of the private sector to best aid the state in the response, relief and recovery from COVID-19. The task force’s immediate focus is on reducing pressure on medical capacity, providing PPE to our front-line healthcare workers, and building support structures around the most vulnerable members of our community. By bringing the philanthropic and business communities together, we can more effectively fulfill those needs and ease the strain on Nevadans and our medical community as directed by the state of Nevada.
The sole and immediate mission of the Nevada COVID-19 Task Force, as directed by Governor Sisolak, is to assist with meeting the monumental and continued need for personal protective equipment and medical supplies for our medical community and first responders. We are delivering all the supplies we obtain to the State, and the Nevada National Guard is ensuring those supplies are distributed to the areas of greatest need. We are overwhelmed by the generosity of Nevadans, and encourage our friends
and community partners to continue to support our state’s many great charities and nonprofits as they carry out their important work during this time.
MEMBERS OF THE TASK FORCE
For more information on the task force itself, please visit nvc19.org.
- Jim Murren
Chairman, Nevada COVID-19 Response, Relief and Recovery Task Force - Yvanna Cancela
State Senator, Nevada - Doug Cannon
President and CEO, NV Energy - Alex Dixon
President, PureStar, West Region - Dr. Rob McBeath
President, OptumCare Mountain West Region - Steve Menzies
President, Focus Companies - Scott M. Nielson
President, Nielson Consulting
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
For up-to-date information on COVID-19 from a health and safety perspective, please consult with the State of Nevada’s website, https://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov/.
Will all the money donated go to the community?
Yes, 100% of the funds donated will be used to support efforts in the community. The fund is intended to operate throughout the entire state of Nevada.
My organization would like to apply for grants from this Fund.
Nevada Community Foundation will work with the Governor’s Nevada COVID-19 Response Relief and Recovery Task Force to deploy the funding to ensure the fund has maximum reach and effectiveness. Funding decisions are made in conjunction with and at the recommendation of the Governor’s task force.
The focus for the fund is PPEs and other medical equipment as prioritized by the state of Nevada, and the situation and the needs are rapidly evolving. Grantmaking to nonprofit organizations is not being considered at this time. Please check https://nvc19.org/ or this website for the latest information.
Please note that Nevada Community Foundation originally launched the fund on March 18, before reconstituting the fund as a partnership with the Governor’s task force.
We fully recognize that there are many Nevada nonprofit organizations in need during these extraordinarily difficult times. With the COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund focused on PPEs and medical supplies, donors who you wish to support other COVID-19 related efforts are highly encouraged to give directly to those nonprofits that align with their giving goals.
How and why was this fund created?
On Mar. 18, Nevada Community Foundation established a COVID-19 Emergency Fund which was jumpstarted with a $10,000 donation from the Duncan and Irene Lee family. Duncan Lee chairs the Nevada Community Foundation board. Now, as result of the partnership with the task force, the original fund will be merged with the new COVID-19 Emergency Fund that has significantly enlarged the scope of eligible beneficiaries to which funds may be distributed.
Nevada joins many other states and cities across the country that are tapping community foundations to help raise and grant funds quickly to those most in need. According to data compiled by the Community Foundation Public Awareness Initiative, more than 325 community foundations spanning 49 states and the District of Columbia have already created Covid-19 response funds to mobilize more than $536.6 million nationwide.
What is the geographic focus for this fund?
The fund is intended to support emergency needs throughout the entire state of Nevada. For donors who are interested in supporting organizations outside of Nevada, please consider making your donations directly to those organizations.
Is the funding targeted to a specific purpose?
Due to the rapidly evolving situation around the COVID-19 pandemic, we have kept the Fund’s purpose to include the following:
- To make grants and payments to assist the State of Nevada and its political subdivisions in responding to COVID-19;
- To provide assistance and supplies to first responders and healthcare providers; and
- To take such actions and make such payments as the Foundation and the Governor’s Task Force determine appropriate to respond to the COVID-19 emergency.
Please note that we have simplified and updated this purpose since the fund’s establishment, in line with the focus of the task force’s mission.
I would like to restrict my donation to a prioritized grantee. Is that possible?
Unfortunately, in order to ensure that we are able to move as efficiently and impactfully as possible in support of the immediate needs, we cannot accept restricted donations at this time.
Can I donate supplies to the Nevada COVID-19 Task Force or the Nevada Community Foundation?
No. The Nevada Community Foundation is not accepting supplies or in-kind donations from the general public at this time.
For media inquiries, please email mediainquiries@nvc19.org.