Twilio, parent of email provider SendGrid, is awarding $2 million in grants over the next three months to support groups helping people in acute crisis.
In this grant round, Twilio is
funding nonprofit, NGOs and charitable groups using hotlines and helplines to connect people with help and information.
Twilio launched its Crisis Response and Prevention Initiative last
year, but COVID-19 has driven a sharp increase in need: the company has seen a 20% increase in usage for crisis services and crisis hotlines across its platform.
Crisis Text Line, which
uses Twilio SMS, has seen a 116% increase in conversation volume.
Twilio hopes to help organizations:
- Assist more people in crisis
- Provide life-changing
support
- Maintain staffing capacity
- Track and report on program outcomes
Groups should apply for grants by June 5th.