SPRINGFIELD — An anonymous donor motivated by the plight of families unable to meet basic needs gave the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts $1 million — and three months to put it to work.

“I think it’s a pretty incredible story that someone (and we really don’t know who!) was so moved by the challenges that folks are facing that they reached out to us to help get funds where they could have the greatest impact,” said Megan Burke, president and CEO of the Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts.

The foundation announced the gift Tuesday. It distributed the $1 million last week in grants of $10,000 to $50,000 to 29 nonprofit groups in Hampden, Hampshire and Franklin counties, said foundation spokesperson Emma Mesa-Melendez.

When the Community Foundation first asked for applications, 178 organizations asked for a total of $7.3 million. The foundation whittled down the list.

“The need is great,” Mesa-Melendez said.

As one example, the Franklin County Community Meals Program provides more than 25,000 free meals a year and serves more than 2,800 households in the county, according to a statement.

“This $50,000 grant is not just funding; it is a lifeline at a moment when we needed one most,” said Nancy Boyle, interim associate director for the meal program, in the statement. “The (Community Foundation’s) support tells us that our work is seen, that it matters, and that we are not doing it alone.”

Other recipients include The Gray House in Springfield and Lorraine’s Soup Kitchen and Pantry in Chicopee, as well as Greater Springfield Senior Services, the Amherst Survival Center and It Takes A Village in Huntington.

Food agencies got hit hard in the fall when SNAP payments stopped during the government shutdown.

But the challenges persist because of not only state and federal budget cuts but also ripple effects of cuts to intermediary agencies, loss of multiyear support, equity retrenchment and rising administrative loads, according to the statement.