In a humorous 2016 New York Times opinion piece, “In Case of Blizzard, Do Nothing,” author David Dudley said that during a major snow event, the best course of action is to stay put and let nature takes its course. “You submit. Surrender. Hunker down.”

However, during February’s epic blizzard, “doing nothing” wasn’t an option for many. Nonprofit leaders, staff, and volunteers across the Cape and beyond rallied to deliver critical services and assistance to those in need. At the same time, we mobilized The Cape Cod Foundation team to learn what the needs were and rapidly deploy $220,000 in funding to 40 organizations (listed below) through our first-ever Blizzard Grants.

NONPROFIT OUTREACH
While everyone expected the blizzard would have a dynamic, multi-day impact on Cape Cod, no one could predict its true impact. We quickly made proactive grants to a few organizations: a food pantry that had to discard provisions due to a generator failure, another food agency that needed to deliver thousands of respite meals to seniors and others in need, and a nonprofit helping seniors without heat and electricity move to hotel rooms.

Then, we created a simple, fast-track application and expanded our outreach to nonprofit organizations who received grants from the Foundation in the last two years and others providing critical services. In the first week, we received 62 applications—over $600,000 in requests.

Funding supported:

• Food. The demand on food pantries and meal delivery services increased dramatically. Some had to discard food due to freezer failure; others had increased transportation costs to get provisions throughout the community.
• Increased Staff Costs. Some organizations extended their hours or stayed open overnight to continue services, incurring additional payroll, supply, and food costs for workers.
• Generator Costs. Funding for fuel, maintenance, and repair costs was among the most cited needs.
• Snow Removal. Many organizations exceeded their entire snow removal budget with this single storm, tapping into resources needed to provide direct services.
• Tree Damage. Organizations needed to remove fallen trees to gain/increase access to properties and/or clear parking lots and common areas. Tree work estimates ranged from $10,000 to over $80,000 for wildlife trails and other public areas.
• Lost Revenue. Organizations that receive funding for state services could not bill for 3-5 days. To meet payroll, they requested respite dollars. Other organizations, such as those in the arts, lost revenue due to cancelled performances.
• The Snowball Effect. Many employees lost work during the blizzard and needed emergency assistance to pay their rent, utilities, or grocery bills.