M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust awards grants to fight virus

The Vancouver-based M.J. Murdock Charitable Trust announced Wednesday its first round of charitable grants aimed at the COVID-19 crisis.

In total, trustees awarded $5.4 million in grants to 47 nonprofit groups, including nearly $3 million for Washington charities. The Free Clinic of Southwest Washington and the Community Foundation for Southwest Washington’s COVID Response Fund were among the local recipients.

The trust said its investments were focused on medical research regarding COVID-19 treatment and testing ($1.4 million); supplies and capacity for frontline health care providers ($2.6 million); and community impact funds managed by community foundations across the Pacific Northwest ($1.4 million).

“We remain in discussion with nonprofits and leaders across our community to help inform future grantmaking into areas of emerging need, including addressing capacity needs of food banks and other emergency services,” the trust said in a news release.

It will continue its regular quarterly grants cycle, in addition to the new emergency relief funding.

The trust said as the COVID-19 pandemic has grown there’s been a lot of discussion in philanthropy about how to best support organizations addressing a wide variety of emerging needs.

“Funders across the country and around the world agree — this cannot be ‘business as usual,'” the news release said.

In response, the trust is figuring out how best to serve immediate and anticipated needs, and started an expedited grant process. It is also supporting organizations by pairing them with resources and leaders, and assisting past grant recipients who may have projects impacted by the virus. For more information, visit murdocktrust.org/covid19.