Trusted Response Fund: Phase II

Since 2018, the Community Foundation has worked towards a vision of supporting a strong, equitable nonprofit sector, dedicating our staff time, funding and resources to partner with leaders, organizations and systems to fulfill that vision. This capacity building work has taken many forms; Nonprofit Effectiveness, Project Equity, and the CORE Fellowship. 

In 2025, we understood that in our role as a funder, meeting the moment meant getting resources into community as nonprofits navigated the impacts of a changing external environment. This led to the creation of a new grant opportunity, the Trusted Response Fund. We adapted and distributed funding into the community as quickly as possible.  As priorities and funding opportunities at the state and federal levels continue to change and impact nonprofits and the communities they serve, we remain committed to continuing our work investing in the capacity of nonprofits to adapt, respond and remain resilient.  

This year, the Trusted Response Fund is focusing on catalytic funding, meant to provide the resources for change rather than cover day-to-day cost. We aim to support organizations that have been the most impacted by funding and policy shifts. The 2026-27 grant cycle will plan to award higher grant amounts to a select set of organizations that need catalytic funds to drive impact. Our aim is to fund the work that allows organizations to adapt in the current moment, helping nonprofits build toward solutions as the external context keeps shifting.  

We recognize that no foundation can replace what government funding has historically provided — the scale isn't comparable, and we don't have the resources to try. Instead, we're focusing where we believe philanthropy can make the most meaningful difference: catalytic funding that removes the barriers for real programmatic or strategy change.

The Trusted Response Fund provides capacity building funding for the tools, strategies, programs, and partnerships that nonprofits need most right now. The fund gives financial support to assist organizations as they strategically respond in a rapidly changing environment. This opportunity is about catalyst funding to remove barriers for strategic change. 

The gaps this grant responds to are created by a loss/decrease in state and federal funding, and/or due to a shift in federal or state policy. While the Community Foundation generally promotes general operating support, the catalyst funding approach of the Trusted Response Fund means that this fund will not consider requests for general operating dollars. 

Trusted Response Fund applicants can request grant amounts in the range of $20,000 - $40,000.   

Grants may be used for a wide range of capacity-building strategies, with priority given to nonprofits who demonstrate at least one of the following focuses: 

• Engage in planning and action that responds to critical community needs  
• Plan for sustainability in the face of funding gaps or policy changes 
• Bolster essential programs and services that are critical during this moment   
• Strengthen collective capacity to meet the needs of individuals, organizations and/or systems (single submission for group/coalition work) 
• Innovate to respond to emerging or growing community needs   
• Prioritize access or advancement of resources for supporting marginalized and underrepresented communities  

No matter your mission, if you are building toward solutions as funding and policy landscapes keep shifting, we invite you to apply and share your work with us. Organizations can submit proposals within our grant categories below, but we welcome projects outside of these areas as well—because we, too, are learning alongside our partners. 

Purpose and Impact  

• E.g. Expanding a program or service to meet increased demands, including growing food access programs for households affected by SNAP benefit changes.  

Financial Sustainability  

• E.g. Hiring a consultant to create and launch a new fundraising strategy that fills gaps to keep low-barrier housing and supportive services available amidst Housing First model changes.  

Strategic Response  

• E.g. Implementation of key shifts such as adapting services to address SNAP and Medicaid eligibility requirement changes.  

Operational Efficiency/Effectiveness  

• E.g. Developing and implementing an IT improvement plan to increase efficiency, safety, and accessibility of critical services.   

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB)  

• E.g. Implementation of key programmatic changes to support populations impacted by policy and priority shifts.  

Other  

• We are here to learn from you. If you do not feel like your project does not fit into one of these categories, please select this option.   

Evaluation Priorities: 

• Organizations most impacted by public/governmental funding and policy shifts 
• Projects/strategies that allow organizations to adapt in the current moment, and build toward solutions as the external context keeps shifting 
• Funding that is catalytic, removing barriers for real programmatic or strategy change  

Identification of Funding/Policy Change Impact (new this year) 

• If the applicant demonstrates a clear impact from a loss of federal, state or local funding stream and/or a clear impact on programming or communities they are serving due to a federal, state or local policy change. The funding we are talking about is public, or governmental funding, not loss of private funding. 

Responsiveness to Need  

• If the applicant clearly identifies a critical current or emerging need the organization/community/system faces AND has proposed a project/strategy that directly addresses the presenting need.  

Catalyst for Future Change/Impact (new this year) 

• If the applicant clearly identifies the change/impact catalyzed by their chosen project/strategy AND the organization clearly describes how this funding will remove barriers to implementation of the project/strategy. 

Intentionality and Strategic Alignment   

• If the applicant demonstrates that the chosen project/strategy is a result of thoughtful, strategic, and inclusive decision making.  
• If the organization produced a project/strategy that is informed by and accountable to those most impacted by the identified need.  

Organizational Readiness  

• If the organization has the structures, systems, resources, relationships, and capacity to carry out the project/strategy effectively.

Clarity of Plan  

• If the organization has outlined a clear plan for their chosen project/strategy that is feasible given their context, has a realistic timeline, and includes the right people for success.  

Evaluation and Learning  

• If the applicant has identified a clear plan to both measure success and capture learning from both the planning and implementation of the project/strategy.  

Application Opens – September 28th, 2026  - Apply Now | Click Here

Trusted Response Fund: Phase II Application PDF - Click Here

Information Session (virtual) - October 14th, 2026, 1:00 PM – 2:00 PM - click here to register 

Office Hours (virtual) 

Friday, October 23rd, 8:30 AM – 9:30 AM -  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81024957412 

Thursday, November 12th, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM -  https://us06web.zoom.us/j/84812249749 

Application Closes – November 23rd, 2026  

Notification – March 2027 

Payment – April 2027 

• Organization serves residents in Lehigh and/or Northampton counties  
• Organization recognized as tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code  
• Organizations under fiscal sponsors are encouraged to apply  
• Coalitions are welcome to apply  

The Community Foundation values applications that represent the full diversity of our nonprofit sector. We recognize that sometimes there is an underrepresentation of applications from historically marginalized groups. In this application process, we look forward to reviewing applications from all of our partners, including those led by or serving:  

• BIPOC individuals  
• Individuals with lived experience  
• People with disabilities  
• LGBTQ+ individuals  
• Immigrants and refugees  
• Veterans  
• Rural communities and other historically underrepresented populations  

We recognize that systemic barriers can make accessing funding opportunities more challenging for some organizations. Our intention is to make the application process as accessible and inclusive as possible.   

Process supports:   

• Video/voice submission for certain questions  
• Grant application information session  
• Open office hours offered through the application window  

If you encounter any barriers in completing or submitting your application, please contact us directly—we are committed to finding solutions to ensure equitable access.  

For assistance, please contact 

Robyn Weaver, Program Officer, Capacity Building.

Email: robyn@lvcfoundation.org

Phone: 610-351-5353, ext. 122

rusted Response Fund: Phase II FAQ -  Click Here