Empowering Communities

Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation’s Rapid Response Fund strives to build a stronger, more resilient nonprofit ecosystem by responding to the emergency needs of immigrant- and refugee-serving nonprofits in King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties. To qualify for a Rapid Response Fund grant, an organization must:

• Serve immigrants and refugees as an integral part of its work as signified by its organizational mission statement OR have an emergency project in which at least 75% served are immigrants or refugees.
• Be based in King, Pierce, or Snohomish Counties.
• Qualify as a 501 (c) (3) organization under the IRS code.
• Have an unanticipated need that is truly emergent and was not included in the organization’s annual budget. The Rapid Response Fund is not intended to support costs that are part of regular program delivery, operating expenses, staff salaries, nor the routine replacement/purchase of office equipment. equipment. We are also unable to provide grants to cover an unexpected loss of government or grant funding.  Successful grant requests are typically for concrete, specific emergent needs such as replacing computers after a break-in or paying for moving costs after the unexpected loss of a lease.
• Be able to provide an estimate of specific costs equivalent with the grant request. Estimates must be detailed and tied to actual expenses. While SYLF can provide up to $10,000 in Rapid Response funds, the financial request should be tied to a very specific documented need, and we will not grant more than the documented need.
• Not use Rapid Response Grant funds as direct cash payments to individuals.

If you are a local nonprofit in need of emergency funds to serve immigrants and refugees and your request meets all of the above criteria, please reach out to Rachel Allen at programs@sylfoundation.org to learn more. There is no need to prepare a formal request before contacting us. If your emergency need fits our criteria, you will be asked to complete a short application. If approved, most grants can be delivered in under 14 working days. A brief report will be due 3 months after the grant is received.