The Comprehensive Community Action Program, CODAC Behavioral Health and the Society of St. Vincent de Paul are among 10 Cranston organizations that received nearly $900,000 in grants to provide housing, food and behavioral health services from the Rhode Island Foundation. The funding was through $20 million ARPA Nonprofit Support Program.

“We are grateful that state leaders believed in our capacity to quickly get this funding into the hands of the nonprofit organizations that are doing the boots-on-the-ground work helping those in their communities recover from the pandemic’s continuing impact on their daily lives," said Neil D. Steinberg, the Foundation’s president and CEO.

CCAP will use its grant to provide food, housing, homelessness prevention services and behavioral health care, while CODAC will offer behavioral health care. St. Vincent de Paul will focus on housing and food insecurity.

The other Cranston organizations receiving grants are Esperanza-Hope, Friends of Rhode Island CASA, Girls on the Run Rhode Island, Help the Homeless RI, Justice Assistance, MAE Organization and the Pocasset Pokanoket Land Trust.

Governor Dan McKee, House Speaker K. Joseph Shekarchi and Senate President Dominick J. Ruggerio tapped the Foundation to distribute the funding from Rhode Island’s $1.1 billion share of the federal American Rescue Plan Act allocation for COVID-19 recovery.

“Thank you to Neil Steinberg and the Rhode Island Foundation for getting this critical funding out the door so quickly,” said Speaker Shekarchi. “In just six months, the Rhode Island Foundation has deployed $20 million to the organizations that are many of the unsung heroes of the pandemic, supporting Rhode Islanders as we collectively get back on our feet and move forward. Thank you to all of the grant recipients for your great work.”

The $20 million the Foundation has awarded since December is the single largest pool of grants in the organization’s 107-year-history.

“Our nonprofits and community organizations provided critical on the ground supports to Rhode Islanders throughout the COVID pandemic even while facing negative economic impacts themselves,” said Governor McKee. “I want to thank the Rhode Island Foundation for quickly distributing these funds to 240 organizations throughout the state to help them as they continue to recover and grow out of the pandemic.”

The grants targeted organizations that experienced negative economic impacts as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Foundation gave priority to community-based nonprofits serving communities where the need is highest. The Foundation announced the first $8.3 million in grants to 91 nonprofits last December. The final $11.7 million in grants were awarded to 149 organizations over the past four months.

The Rhode Island Foundation is the largest and most comprehensive funder of nonprofit organizations in Rhode Island. Working with generous and visionary donors, the Foundation raised more than $75 million and awarded nearly $84 million in grants last year. Through leadership, fundraising and grant-making activities, often in partnership with individuals and organizations, the Foundation is helping Rhode Island reach its true potential. For more information, visit rifoundation.org.