Since September 28, just days after the September 25 and 26 floods ravaged homes and businesses in Globe-Miami, the United Fund of Globe-Miami began a fundraiser for flood relief for residents and businesses directly impacted in the Globe-Miami community.
Within just under a month, the region’s most well-established nonprofit organization had raised more than $1.9 million for the campaign.
“All of this money is going to flood relief,” says Susan Guerrero, community outreach manager for the United Fund. “We’re focusing on the rebuilding – rebuilding the homes, rebuilding the businesses.”
The grant funds cover United Fund’s service area, which is the Globe-Miami region, including surrounding unincorporated areas like Claypool and Wheatfields, Guerrero says.
Large contributions include: $1 million by Resolution Copper, designating $650,000 for businesses, $300,000 for residential assistance, and $50,000 for flood mitigation planning; $250,000 by Arizona Public Service (after a previous donation of $250,000 Salvation Army); $100,000 committed by United Fund as a dollar-for-dollar match challenge; $75,000 from Cobre Valley Regional Medical Center, $70,000 from BHP, $50,000 from Freeport-McMoran, $25,000 from Wells Fargo, $20,000 from an anonymous organization in California, and $15,000 from Washington Federal.
Intake Partners
United Fund has partnered with two agencies to manage the intake process for these grants, chosen based on the agencies’ proven experience in disaster response and human-services work.
Salvation Army is handling the intake process for the residential grants, and Local First Arizona is handling the intake process for the business grants.
United Fund is not making decisions about who receives funds, Guerrero says.
“United Fund is the fundraiser and financial steward — not the party managing intakes, documentation, or award decisions,” she says. “Our partner agencies manage intake, verify eligibility, and process applications.”
“These agencies use established documentation standards to ensure relief is distributed correctly and compliantly,” she adds.
Flood Relief for Residents: Salvation Army Southwest Division
In addition to vetting applicants for United Fund assistance, the Salvation Army’s Southwest Division has been assisting flood victims using its own funds to provide gift cards, supplies and financial assistance, including help paying for utilities. In total, the division has assisted more than 1,500 flood victims in the area since October 1.
Anyone receiving flood relief assistance from the Salvation Army, whether they are only interested in receiving Salvation Army assistance or are also seeking the United Fund residential grant, has to have been impacted by the flooding, and physically come to the Globe center to provide proof of residence and fill out intake paperwork. Additionally, they have to be on the county or state’s damage assessment list.
“If they are not on the list, we try our best to verify how they’ve been impacted through other methods,” says Scott Johnson, the public relations director of the Salvation Army Southwest Division.
Approved United Fund residential grant applicants can receive up to $7,500 for qualifying expenses.
Flood Relief for Businesses: Local First Arizona
The Local First Arizona application for businesses seeking relief grants needs to be completed online before October 31 to be considered.
Local First Arizona calls an applicant within two days of the online application submission to verify the application information, says Jenna Rowell, Local First Arizona's Director of Rural Development.
“We have to talk directly with the applicant to keep their case moving, and then we add them to a list that we give to United Fund,” Rowell explains. “Once United Fund confirms they have all they need to cut the grant check, we notify the businesses to watch the mail for that payment.”
“Right now, vacant buildings that had no business operating from them at the time of the flooding and home-based businesses are ones we will contact after we complete other applications,” she adds. “So, they will still be vetted, but it will take longer to complete the process with them.”
The initial applications are for grants of up to $5,000 for businesses, however, “applications for those funds are helping get a clearer picture of overall needs,” Rowell says. “That will inform the parameters for grants above and beyond the initial relief grants. Local First will participate in the process to set those parameters, but we are not a unilateral decision maker.”
Rowell reports that on Monday, October 20, LFA sent United Fund a list of 27 vetted applicants, and dozens more applications were being processed by October 22.
Once it is verified that the businesses are current and licensed, the initial checks should be going out within days, Guerrero said.
A Matter of Time
Only a portion of pledged donations have been fulfilled to date, Guerrero explains, and agencies are still in the early stages of processing a high volume of applications.
“We are moving funds out the door as quickly as we can responsibly do so, with checks and balances in place to ensure every dollar reaches a verified flood-impacted household or business,” Guerrero says. “The majority of the $1.9M+ pledged is still in transit, and we want the community to know that support is coming — and that every step between pledge and payout is accounted for.”
The United Fund does not have an end-date set for the fundraiser at this time.
“Fundraising will continue for the foreseeable future as long as there is need and as long as donors continue to give,” Guerrero says.
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