Philanthropy’s Response to the Coronavirus Outbreak

As concern about the spread of the coronavirus/COVID-19 grows, philanthropy is determining how best to mobilize to support a coordinated response among funders. See below some resources on philanthropic response efforts currently underway.

RESPONSE FUNDS

RESOURCES 

• Center for American Progress has a resources page with public policy recommendations and impact analyses from public health, economic, national security, and other critical policy perspectives.
• The Communications Network started a Coronavirus Crisis Comms Triage Kit to share and crowdsource best practices, resources, and examples of effective crisis comms from foundations and nonprofits covering many of the tasks you’re likely attending to.
• The Council on Foundations resource hub shares updates from the field, insights from the sector and learning opportunities.
• Early Childhood Funders Collaborative is providing a curated list of rapidly developing resources and updates for early childhood funders related to COVID-19, including guiding principles, emerging areas of need, key resources for EC funders and EC funder responses.
• Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees is closely monitoring the COVID-19 outbreak, with a focus on how it is impacting immigrants and how philanthropy is addressing that impact. They will continue to update their web page with relevant and useful resources, including funding recommendations and upcoming webinars.
• National Conference of State Legislatures is tracking state legislative responses to COVID-19 as well as links to additional NCSL webpages with information on state fiscal, public education, and elections responses.
• National Council of Nonprofits is updating this page regularly with the latest information and resources that nonprofits can use to prepare and respond, including a map with state-specific resources and a survey on how nonprofits are being impacted.
• Northern California Grantmakers is housing recommendations for philanthropic responsiveness to the anticipated effects of the Coronavirus on under-resourced and vulnerable communities: how you can help now, access to webinars, guidance for philanthropic communications, and resources for your organization.
• Philanthropy Network Greater Philadelphia has assembled some resources for funders interested in learning more about philanthropic response efforts currently underway.
• Philanthropy New York has compiled a list of national and local resources that provide information and address action steps for COVID-19, along with lessons learned from philanthropic responses to past disasters that can be applied today.
• Public Private Strategies has curated a list of resources that have been made available by advocacy groups, technology companies, and federal, state, and local government agencies to help businesses and their workers maintain their physical and economic health during the outbreak.
• United Philanthropy Forum is collecting information on how philanthropy serving organizations are responding with internal policies, communicating about the virus to program registrants and recommended resources and events (login required).
• Urban Institute is analyzing the potential impacts of COVID-19’s spread, including what effect will the virus have on vulnerable populations, how can we bolster social safety net programs to respond to greater need, and what policies can minimize strain on the health care system and best support health care professionals.

ARTICLES

• 7 ways Congress can support small businesses during the COVID-19 outbreak, By Rhett Buttle and Katie Vlietstra Wonnenberg, The Hill Opinion, March 23, 2020.
  This Time Do Everything: Confronting the Economic Impact of COVID-19, By Maureen Conway and Mark Popovich, Aspen Institute Blog, March 20, 2020.
• Grantmakers Must Put Equity at the Forefront of the Coronavirus Response, Letter to the Editor By David Biemesderfer, United Philanthropy Forum, Chronicle of Philanthropy, March 19, 2020.
• Eight Emerging Lessons: From Coronavirus to Climate Action, By Otto Scharmer, Medium, March 16, 2020.
• Responding to the Coronavirus Outbreak: Resources to Help Nonprofits, By Margie Fleming Glennon, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, Updated March 16, 2020.
• Philanthropy Has a Duty to Respond Quickly to the COVID-19 Outbreak. Here’s How We Can Do It, By Lori Bezahler, Guest Contributor, Inside Philanthropy, March 16, 2020.
• Supporting Our Unsung Heroes in a Moment of Crisis: Part 1, By Phil Buchanan, Center for Effective Philanthropy, March 16, 2020
• Child Care in Crisis: Understanding the Effects of the Coronavirus Pandemic, The National Association for the Education of Young Children, March 16, 2020
• Coronavirus makes it impossible to ignore the economic insecurity built into our labor market, By Martha Ross and Nicole Bateman, Brookings, March 13, 2020.
• Using The EITC To Help Fight An Economic Slowdown, By Elaine Magg, Forbes, March 13, 2020.
• Statement from NLIHC President and CEO Diane Yentel on the Passing of the Emergency Spending Bill that Neglects the Urgent Needs of People Experiencing Homelessness, National Low Income Housing Coalition, Mar 13, 2020.
• Coronavirus ‘Rapid Response’ Funds Proliferate as Threat Grows, by Dan Sparks, The Chronicle of Philanthropy, March 12, 2020.
• Coronavirus, Boom and Bust Election Funding, and an Impending Recession, By: Aaron Dorfman, Bethany Maki, National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy, March 11, 2020
• COVID-19-Seven Things Philanthropy Can Do, By Lauren A. Smith, FSG, March 2, 2020.
• As coronavirus spreads, the bill for our public health failures is due, By Richard E. Besser, The Washington Post, March 5, 2020
• Supporting Frontline Employees During COVID-19, By: Nicole Trimble, Talent Rewire.