Lee’s Summit nonprofits feel COVID pinch. Here’s how healthcare foundation will help

The pandemic has brought a multitude of unexpected costs to many, including the non-profits trying to ease the public’s burden. To relieve some of that pressure, the Greater Lee’s Summit Healthcare Foundation is running a fundraising campaign.

The foundation hopes to raise $5,000 from the community and intends to match that amount for a total of $10,000 that will go to non-profits in Lee’s Summit later this year to offset any costs related to COVID-19 that these organizations have had to cope with.

“Anybody who donates to the campaign will know that their gift will stay in the Lee’s Summit community and that it will be given to an organization that’s already vetted by the Greater Lee’s Summit Healthcare Foundation,” said Mark Hoffman, president of the foundation.

The fundraising campaign will run through August, and the foundation will distribute funds after that. Hoffman said the Foundation doesn’t have an exact model for how it will distribute the funds yet. Possibilities include funding organizations most in need or dividing the funds equally among the recipients of this year’s regular grants.

In February, the foundation awarded those regular grants to 11 groups in Lee’s Summit: CASA of Jackson County, Coldwater of Lee’s Summit, Developing Potential, Hillcrest, John Knox Village, Lee’s Summit Cares, Meals on Wheels, Pro Deo Youth Center, ReDiscover, The Summit Church and the Truman Medical Center Charitable Foundation.

Normally, strict rules come with those grants, stipulating the money has to be used for the purpose stated on the grant application. With the current crisis, however, the foundation has loosened those restrictions to allow all of these organizations to put the money they’re already received toward coronavirus-related expenses if they choose to do so.

“We wanted them to be able to use our grant to address those costs,” Hoffman said. “The campaign we’re doing this summer is to be able to supplement those awards with additional funding, so that they can do more either in COVID-specific responses or the good work that they’re doing to support the health and wellness needs of the Lee’s Summit community.”

Developing Potential serves individuals with developmental disabilities, such as autism, Down syndrome and cerebral palsy. Since 2012, the nonprofit has had a location in Lee’s Summit, where currently 23 clients are in a day program.

Right now, leaders of the organization have opted to keep their grant money focused on their original project.

“We applied for equipment this year, so there was some more therapeutic type of equipment that we can use to help individuals who have been in a wheelchair throughout their day (to) alleviate some of the stress on their body,” said Amy Cox, director of development for Developing Potential.

However, the group has definitely felt the pandemic pinch. Switching to telehealth services while everyone had to stay home meant that they could only serve one individual at a time.

“Because we provide services in a group setting for the most part, over the course of three months, we have experienced a $1.2 million loss in revenue. So that has certainly been a difficult problem to overcome,” Cox said.

Over the last month, Developing Potential has been phasing in a plan to bring back in-person services.

Some of the other organizations have opted to use the funds to pay for personal protective equipment, Hoffman said.

For more information on donating to the foundation, visit www.healthyleessummit.org.