APALACHEE RECOVERY
Donate NowIn response to the tragic incident at Apalachee High School, the Barrow Community Foundation activated the Barrow Community Crisis Fund.
This fund is dedicated to providing short-term and long-term support to organizations that assist the people of Barrow County during times of crisis. Contributions to the fund are dedicated to the recovery of the families, students, staff and community affected by this heartbreaking event.
ROUND 4 GRANTS AWARDED
Grants to organizations who are directly serving the needs of the victims and others who were impacted have been made in Rounds 1, 2, 3 and 4. Read about the grantees, the amounts awarded and the services provided.
ROUND 5 APPLICATIONS
The grant window for Round 5 will open August 1 and applications will be due August 15. As of July 31, the total amount of funds received into the Barrow Community Crisis Fund was $1,012,730. A total of $116,000 was paid out in Round 1 Grants, $335,250 in Round 2, $146,975 in Round 3, and $94,984 in Round 4, leaving $319,521 in the fund balance.
For Grant Round 5, 50% of the fund balance will be released, totaling $159,761. Remaining funds will be held for intermediate and long-term needs in future grant rounds.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Why set up a crisis fund?
When a tragedy like the one at Apalachee High School occurs, the impact is often widespread, including not only those directly involved but also nearby students, teachers, and families. A crisis fund enables us to address both the immediate and long-term needs of everyone affected, including many who may not be covered by personal fundraisers. Additionally, large organizations wanting to aid our recovery can only donate to established foundations. By having a crisis fund, we can reach a broader circle of donors and then thoughtfully allocate resources to help everyone heal.
Why is the Barrow Community Foundation the organization designated to collect funds for this crisis?
Community foundations are public non-profit organizations that help connect donors with causes they care about. Contributions to BCF are tax-deductible. The Foundation is led by trusted, local community leaders who are committed to Barrow County.
What is this fund for?
Donations that were made to the Barrow Community Crisis Fund before June 30, 2025 have been designated specifically to support organizations that serve the needs of the people of Barrow County in the recovery from the tragedy that occurred at Apalachee High School on September 4. These organizations may include the Barrow County School System, specific Barrow County schools, government agencies such as law enforcement and public safety, non-profit organizations that provide direct services to people affected by the incident, and other organizations that are impacting the recovery effort.
How is this money helping the victims?
Every penny of the Barrow Community Crisis Fund is being used to provide services to help those who have been affected by this horrific tragedy, including the families who lost loved ones, people who were injured, all of the students, teachers, and staff at Apalachee High School, first responders, and others in the community who are suffering from the effects of the incident. Help will be provided through grants to support the school system, the school, other agencies and non-profits to provide the direct services and resources that are needed to help everyone who has been impacted and to aid in the overall recovery.
Is the Foundation keeping any of this money?
No. The Barrow Community Foundation has waived all fees for the administration of its fundraising and grantmaking efforts, and 100% donations to the Barrow Community Crisis Fund will be distributed through the grant process. Our generous board members are personally paying the extra costs that the foundation is incurring to operate the crisis fund.
How can I learn more about how much money has been raised and where the funds are going?
Large donors who gave permission to disclose their gift have been recognized on the Foundation’s social media pages. A summary of smaller gifts was updated on social media when certain benchmarks were met. The total received to date will be announced each time a grant window is opened. It is not possible to post a status of the fund in real time as funds come in from various sources (online donations, checks in the mail, donations presented in person at our office).
How do we know the funds are being used properly by the agencies who have received grants?
All grantees are required to report their use of the funds to the Barrow Community Foundation using a formal reporting system that includes financial records. These reports are due December 31, March 31 and July 15. These reports are reviewed by the grant committee and the board of directors. In addition, the Barrow Community Foundation undergoes an annual audit by an outside accounting firm and makes annual filings of Form 990 with the Internal Revenue Service.
All grants will be posted on social media and on this page when they are awarded including the organization that is receiving the funds, the amount of the grant and the purpose of the funding. Grants Made
How will the funds be distributed?
The committee who will accept grant applications and make decisions on the best use of the funds has been appointed by the BCF Board of Directors. It includes:
- a top-level school system administrator
- a member of the Apalachee High School faculty
- a representative of the Sheriff’s office
- a county elected official
- a representative of one of Barrow County’s largest employers
- a representative of the medical community
- a business and civic leader from the financial sector
- a business and civic leader who is highly-experienced in community grantmaking
- a representative from one of the largest churches in the county
- a mental health professional
We are very grateful for these dedicated volunteers who will be tasked with understanding the needs of community as they relate to this crisis, making plans for short-term and long-term needs (many of which are still unknown) and determining the best ways to help the school, students, teachers, families and everyone who has been impacted by this tragic event.
How long will it take for the funds to be disbursed?
The Barrow Community Foundation is committed to distributing the funds in the most prudent and responsible way. This requires the grant committee to consider both the short-term response and long-term needs that are currently unknown. The first round of funding was distributed in mid-October, the second round in mid-November, third round in mid-January and the fourth round in mid-April. The fifth round opened on August 1. Additional rounds will be announced as needed. The non-profit organizations and government agencies who will be eligible for funding are already providing services to the people who are impacted, so there has been no delay in getting people the help that they need.
Why not distribute funds sooner? The first round of funding was announced on September 30, which was 18 business days following the incident and the establishment of the fund. It took this amount of time for the online donations to reach an amount that could make an impact. Money from fundraisers began coming in during the second and third week, and some planned events had not been held yet. Most of the contributions, especially the larger ones, came from corporations and foundations. The first of these checks began arriving three weeks after the incident. Grant applications were announced as soon as funds were available. A very short period was given to allow organizations to make plans and submit applications. It is a complex process that requires deliberate and thoughtful decision-making, and the Barrow Community Foundation has made funding available in the shortest time possible due to an enormous effort by board members, volunteers and staff.
When will applications be accepted? APPLY HERE
Round 1: Applications opened September 30 and were awarded on October 25
Round 2: Applications opened November 1 and were awarded November 20.
Round 3: Applications will open January 15 and will be due January 30.
Round 4: Applications opened April 1 and were due April 17.
Round 5: Applications opened August 1 and will be due August 15.
Additional rounds will be announced.
Why can’t these funds be paid to individuals or for-profit businesses who are providing services?
Because the Barrow Community Foundation is a non-profit organization, contributions made to the foundation are tax-deductible and subject to state and federal laws and IRS regulations that prohibit such payments. Grants must be made for a qualified charitable purpose to a non-profit organization or government agency. Grantees may hire for-profit service providers to carry out the work that their charitable purpose requires. For example, a government agency could hire experts to provide direct services or a non-profit could purchase materials from a business. Grantees may also provide financial assistance to individuals in need if their usual mission includes such services.
Why are only 50% of the available funds being distributed in each round?
The grant committee has set a tentative grant schedule that will provide a new round of funding every 30 to 60 days as funds are available. The schedule may be accelerated if the circumstances require a faster distribution of funds. We have sought the advice of other communities that have experienced similar incidents and national experts on school violence, and they have given strong warnings to expect the outcomes of the trauma to develop over several months. Since we do not know the intermediate and long-term needs that may develop over time, and we do not know when the donations will end and how much funding will ultimately be received, a decision was made to retain funds for future needs that remain unknown at this time. As more donations come into the fund, up to 50% of the accumulated remaining amount will be paid out in each round, then all remaining funds will be distributed in the final round. Why “up to” 50%? Because we may not receive enough applications to distribute all of the available funds, there may be applications that do not meet the requirements of the fund, or the proposed activity in some grant applications may not address the most urgent needs. Applications that are not specifically addressing the crisis recovery or that are not meeting the most important needs will not be funded even if funds are available. Unspent funds will be counted in the next round. This is to avoid waste.
Do you have a question that is not addressed here? Email us at info@barrowcf.org.