COVID-19

The COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak has put the country, including the philanthropic sector, into uncharted territory. To help our members respond during this challenging time, we’ve compiled the following resources to help your organization respond and operate effectively.

Staying Connected
Rapid Response Funds
Resources for Foundations

Staying Connected

SECF members looking to ask questions, share ideas and brainstorm can take advantage of our Listserv platform to quickly reach out to colleagues. Our active lists are provided below – if you are not able to send a message to a list you believe you should be on, contact Director of Research & Data Stephen Sherman at stephen@secf.org. We are currently evaluating our Listserv offerings and plan to launch others in the days ahead – please keep an eye on this space for updates!

CEOs and Executive Directors – ceos@lists.secf.org
Community Foundations and Grantmaking Public Charities – communityfnds@lists.secf.org
Corporate Foundations and Giving Programs – corporate@lists.secf.org
Family Foundations and Philanthropic Individuals – familyfnd@lists.secf.org
Health Legacy Foundations – healthlegacy@lists.secf.org
Hull Fellows Alumni – hull@lists.secf.org
Independent and Operating Foundations – independent@lists.secf.org
Atlanta Corporate Donors – acd@lists.secf.org

While our staff is working remotely, we have taken steps that allow us to remain connected to one another and to all of you. We can still be reached by email and via phone at (404) 524-0911.

Rapid Response Funds

Dozens of community foundations throughout the region have launched rapid response funds to support nonprofits and the people they serve during the outbreak. Many of these funds specifically target nonprofits that support marginalized populations who will be most affected by the health and economic impacts of this crisis. These funds are accepting contributions from individuals, other foundations and corporate giving programs.

National

Alabama

Arkansas

Arkansas Community Foundation COVID-19 Relief Fund

Florida

Georgia

Kentucky

Louisiana

Mississippi

North Carolina

South Carolina

Tennessee

Virginia

Resources for Foundations

Staying Updated:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
World Health Organization (WHO)
The Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center provides the latest statistics on the pandemic and serves as a resource to help advance the understanding of the virus, inform the public, and brief policymakers in order to guide a response, improve care, and save lives.

Foundations and Philanthropy’s Response:
National Resources:

Candid is tracking philanthropy's response to the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), including foundation commitments, grants awarded, and respond funds created to address the pandemic.
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy provides a recording of its recent webinar, COVID-19 Coronavirus: How Philanthropy Can Respond, which featured the CDC Foundation, Give2Asia, and National Center for Disaster Preparedness. CDP’s Disaster Philanthropy Playbook is the authoritative guide for the philanthropic community in responding to a crisis.
The Council on Foundations has a list of current Resources for Responding to COVID-19. Watch a recording of COF’s Funder to Funder Call: Sharing Approaches to COVID-19 Community Response to discuss the emerging challenges of the coronavirus and philanthropy’s response. COF also provides relevant information in its Disaster Grantmaking Resources, which provide general advice and ideas for funders on how to respond to disasters.
The National Center for Family Philanthropy (NCFP) has created a list of national/international response funds as well as an interactive map of local funds established to aid in response and recovery to the COVID-19 pandemic.
NCFP has also released a new report, Leadership in Difficult Times: Guidance for Donors and Giving Families, that provides resources and inspiration from giving families, funders, and philanthropy organizations for short-term responses to the COVID-19 and economic crises.
Funders for LGBTQ Issues has established a resource page specifically focused on how funders can support LGBTQ and other marginalized communities.
The Early Childhood Funders Collaborative provides a curated list of rapidly developing resources and updates for early childhood funders related to COVID-19.

Blogs, Analysis Opinion, Thought Pieces:

Lauren A. Smith, FSG: COVID-19 -- Seven Things Philanthropy Can Do.
Inside Philanthropy: Philanthropy Has a Duty to Respond Quickly to the COVID-19 Outbreak. Here’s How We Can Do It.
Chronicle of Philanthropy: 6 Steps for Grant Makers to Take Now to Ensure Nonprofits Recover from Coronavirus Spread.
Nonprofit Quarterly: On COVID-19, the Recession, and Nonprofits: A Special Series.
The Bridgespan Group: What Philanthropy Can Do Today to Support Grantees Through the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Crisis.
Nonprofit AF: A Few Things for Nonprofits and Foundations to Consider in Light of the Coronavirus.

Resources for Foundations/Nonprofits as Employers:

PrepareRespondServe.org (from Tech Impact & 501 Commons) offers links to technology tools and resources for redeploying staff to work remotely. Watch the recorded webinar on preparing for COVID-19 for additional tips and guidance.
Tech Impact/Idealware offers helpful reviews of software and applications for the social sector. See their page devoted to COVID-19 resources here.
TechSoup provides a range of technology services for nonprofits, including private foundations. TechSoup’s product catalog offers discounted or donated software and hardware to qualifying organizations, including refurbished PCs and laptops, networking equipment, and productivity software. See TechSoup’s collection of COVID-19 resources here.
Tech evangelist Beth Kanter of Beth’s Blog offers techniques and guidance on How To Facilitate Effective Virtual Meetings.
Nonprofit HR’s Coronavirus Digital Information Portal includes a town hall presentation template for sharing information with constituents. The page also offers best practices for organizations on preparing for remote work and ensuring a safe workplace for employees.
The National Council of Nonprofits provides tips on what to include in a remote work policy, along with links to several examples.
The Coronavirus Comms Triage Kit from the Communications Network offers best practices for crisis communications and links to a crowd-sourced collection of best practices, resources, and examples of effective messaging from foundations and nonprofits.

Webinar

Blog Feed

SECF Members Responding to COVID-19 Coronavirus

3/19/2020 5:06:00 PM

Dozens of SECF members have taken action in response to the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak. This includes numerous community foundations have have launched rapid relief funds with support from private foundations, as well as other support targeting specific areas, ranging from housing to the arts. ... Read More..

COVID-19 Resource Round-Up

3/19/2020 4:51:00 PM

Your SECF colleagues may have advice to share about steps they are taking in response to the outbreak – our Member Listservs (login required) provide an easy way to reach out and learn from each other. Our staff is also available to provide support – call the SECF offices at (404) 524-091... Read More..

COVID-19 Coronavirus: What Foundations Need to Know

3/16/2020 9:35:00 AM

UPDATE (March 16, 2020): New guidance from the CDC released March 15 recommends postponing all gatherings of 50 people or more for at least two months. The SECF staff is working remotely but remains available to support our members. You can reach our team via e-mail or by calling (404) ... Read More..

SECF's Response to COVID-19 Coronavirus

3/12/2020 3:10:00 PM

Like many of you, SECF has been closely monitoring developments related to the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, which was declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11. As a membership association, we want to provide you with information on how you and your organizat... Read More..