The founder of the world’s largest online retailer awarded an Austin nonprofit organization a $2.5 million grant to help address homelessness, according to Austin-based media outlets.
Austin ABC affiliate KVUE reported that the Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO) received the grant from Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ Day 1 Families Fund.
Per KVUE, ECHO was among the 40 nonprofits nationwide to be earmarked for a grant because of its work to tackle homelessness in the state capital and surrounding areas.
“We’re thankful and encouraged by the collaboration we see in Austin among service providers, people with firsthand experience of homelessness, advocates, business leaders and elected officials to work toward ending homelessness in our community,” ECHO executive director Matt Mollica said, the station reported. “Gifts like this one from the Day 1 Families Fund provide much-needed flexible funding to help families and individuals work toward lasting solutions to end their homelessness.”
Austin NBC affiliate KXAN reported that ECHO said it plans to use the funds on helping create non-congregate shelter options in addition to incentive structures to help expand the organization’s system of private-market rental partners.
The Bezos Day 1 Families Fund, which was established in 2018, has awarded approximately $123 million in grants to groups devoted to helping families make the transition from “unsheltered homelessness and shelter to permanent housing,” KVUE reported.
ECHO is among the nine Texas organizations to receive a grant from the fund, per the initiative’s website.
“The Day 1 Families Fund issues annual leadership awards to organizations and civic groups doing compassionate, needle-moving work to provide shelter and hunger support to address the immediate needs of young families,” the website says.