Diversity and Community Engagement
The University of Mississippi

Posts Tagged ‘Rebecca Nelson’

Community Chat – Rebecca Nelson

Posted on: December 4th, 2020 by elpayseu

In this special episode of Community Chats, Rebecca Nelson joins Erin to chat about available funding for nonprofits through the CARES Act and the CREATE Foundation. With the COVID-19 pandemic putting an economic burden on nonprofits across the country, these grants are providing reimbursement funds for any expenses or changes brought on by the pandemic. With just two weeks left to start the application process, Nelson encourages every nonprofit to apply for the $1.6 million still left to disperse.

Through the CREATE Foundation, this funding is available to organization falling into two categories: nonprofits and food pantries, and each organization can be awarded up to $12,000 in reimbursement funding. These grants are intended to reimburse nonprofits for any expenses or lost revenue that may have occurred as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic from March 1 through December 30 such as cancelled fundraisers, new technology, or even cleaning supplies.

The deadline to create an account for the application is December 15, and Nelson encourages everyone to get that done as soon as possible along with the Eligibility Quiz. After completing registration, the application will be open until January 15.

For many, as Nelson can testify, the application process can be daunting. She wants people to know that this application process is quite easy, and she and others at the CREATE Foundation are ready and willing to provide assistance along the way. “We are all behind you, and we want you to reach our for help,” Nelson says. There is also a helpful instructional video available on the CREATE Foundation’s website.

“We want you to have the money,” Nelson says, “We want you to be able to continue to provide the services Mississippians depend on.” The grants are awarded on a first come first served basis, so the sooner, the better.

The application can be found at www.mscaresgrant.com, and you can reach Rebecca Nelson at rebecca@unitedwaynems.org or at (662)432-0158 for further assistance. You can also reach out to the Office of Community Engagement at engaged@olemiss.edu.

All Community Chats episodes can be found on our Facebook page, YouTube channel, or on your favorite podcast provider.

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CUP Recap: Volunteers and Interns

Posted on: July 31st, 2020 by elpayseu

In this session, we hosted Rebecca Nelson with Volunteer Mississippi Northeast Hub to share some strategies for creating virtual opportunities for volunteers.

Rebecca’s top six ways to engage volunteers virtually are:

  • Letter writing – patients, elderly, special populations, teachers, first responders, essential worker
  • Care packages – engage individual volunteers or groups in collecting items for care packages that can be dropped off at specified location or compiled off-site; toiletries and essential items, as well as fun self-care items that can brighten someone’s day
  • Mailings/phone calls – use volunteers to off-load some of the regular office work from home utilizing phone trees and dropping off supplies at individual volunteer homes
  • Zoom ambassadors – create virtual volunteer opportunities for volunteers that can assist with digital needs, perhaps scheduling or moderating Zoom meetings, managing social media, and more. All of these can be done remotely regardless of location.
  • Research – utilize volunteers to do essential research that will support your work. Volunteers can research grant opportunities or potential funding streams or research how-to’s for your agency as you translate work into new contexts and build a new learning curve to meet needs in the current environment
  • Translators, especially for ESL – Volunteers with language skills can be invaluable in helping to translate information and resources, broaden your audience, or reach untapped audiences.

Some additional shared resources:

Download the full transcript (PDF).