COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Resources for Philanthropists and Impact Investors

Last updated October 1, 2020 

Philanthropy response

• A joint project from the Heising-Simons Foundation, The Education Trust, and Bridgespan, "Building Back for Equity: Guidance to Inform 2012 Early Childhood Grantmaking," looks at investments that funders can make to help build back more equitable childhood systems for children, families, and providers.
• Bridgespan India's office, with the support of the World Health Organization, took on a rapid study of community engagement in response to the pandemic in India. "Community Engagement to Tackle COVID-19 in the Slums of Mumbai" shares three community engagement models that are playing a critical role in the response to the crisis in the densely-populated, low-income communities of Mumbai.
• The memo "Philanthropy and the COVID-19 Response in India" explores the distinctive role philanthropists in India can play to address the crisis. By supplementing government and private sector efforts with flexible and often more nimble investments, philanthropists are well-positioned to help address the challenges that will continue or arise after the immediate crisis is past.
• During this crisis, local philanthropists have an essential role to play in bolstering a pillar of their local economies: child care. Bridgespan's Kat Kaufmann and Elise Tosun, along with Shannon Rudisill of the Early Childhood Funders Collaborative share two immediate ways they can do this in "Want to Support Your Community's Equitable Recovery from COVID-19? Invest in Child Care." 
• Bridgespan conversations with more than a dozen philanthropies provide "Four Ways for Community-Focused Philanthropy to Confront the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Crisis" as local communities work through this most critical phase and prepare for an eventual recovery from the pandemic and the recession.
• On March 31, 2020, The Bridgespan Group released a memo to philanthropists highlighting ways to approach funding during this unprecedented time. Our colleagues in the space have continued to share resources and perspectives, which we have included in this updated version of the memo, "Opportunities for Philanthropic Response to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Crisis," and in separate updates:
  • "Mitigating Socioeconomic Impacts in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs)" 
  • "Addressing the Global Human Rights and Governance Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic"

• Council on Foundations and the Ford Foundation, London Funders, and the European Foundation Centre share how US, UK, and European philanthropists are pledging to provide more flexible funding for their grantees, given the current crisis.
• Leads of Bridgespan’s philanthropy practice, Pay-What-It-Takes initiative, and racial equity strategy share "What Philanthropy Can Do Today to Support Grantees Through the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Crisis."
• The Center for Disaster Philanthropy offers advice (including a recorded webinar) on the roles philanthropy can play during pandemics.
• Northern California Grantmakers shares guidance on communicating with grantees and other stakeholders.
• Antony Bugg-Levine, CEO of the Nonprofit Finance Fund, details "6 Steps for Grant Makers to Take Now to Ensure Nonprofits Recover from Coronavirus Spread" in the Chronicle of Philanthropy.

Impact investor response

• In Three Ways for Impact Investors to Respond to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic, Bridgespan’s Michael Etzel and Mariah Collins share three concrete steps impact investors can take to support and safeguard the impact of their investees now and in the future.
• For impact investors, investment firm Capria and global nonprofit Accion offer advice to share with your investees on preparing their businesses for the months ahead.
• In a statement issued by Good Finance, social investors reassure their investees that they will continue to provide support during the pandemic.

Equity considerations

• The memo "Guiding a Giving Response to Anti-Black Injustice," written in collaboration with ABFE, offers funders potential paths to invest in organizations and movements within the Black-led racial justice ecosystem.
• "Racial Equity Implications of the COVID-19 Pandemic: Opportunities for Philanthropic Response" builds on on Bridgespan's “Opportunities for Philanthropic Response to the COVID-19 Crisis” and on its research on racial equity in philanthropy. It elaborates on how the crisis is disproportionately affecting communities of color and where there are opportunities for philanthropists to address inequities in their response.
• Racial Equity Tools shares an extensive list of racial equity and social justice resources to inform COVID-19 responses.
• The NAACP published "Ten Equity Implications of the Coronavirus COVID-19 Outbreak in the United States," a detailed resource outlining actions to take, in both the short- and long-term, to meet the immediate needs of those most vulnerable to the effects of the pandemic.

Leading teams

• Our colleagues at Bain & Company offer these three articles to help CEOs manage through crisis: "A CEO Plan for Coronavirus: Actions to Take Now," "How to Make Your Teams Stronger in a Crisis," and "Coronavirus: How to Be the Leader Your People Need Right Now."
• Bridgespan's "Executive Team Effectiveness Toolkit" provides a five-step process for increasing overall executive team effectiveness.

The virtual world

• Zarvana shares "How to Overcome the Social Isolation of Remote Work," providing helpful tips for employees and managers to prevent the social isolation that remote working can cause. Zarvana also offers a free "Virtual Productivity Toolkit" on how to excel while working remotely.
• Tech Soup offers some practical ideas for how nonprofits can quickly shift to remote working – with little to no external IT support. Make sure to also check out their full set of nonprofit resources.

General resources

• NAMI’s COVID-19 Resource and Information Guide and Crisis Text Line’s How to Handle Coronavirus offer helpful insights and practical advice for how to protect your mental health during the current crisis.
• The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control continue to be go-to sources for the latest developments and recommended actions.
• Independent Sector offers "Information on COVID-19," a curated list of resources and articles to help members of the charitable sector serve their communities.
• The Leap of Reason Ambassadors Community has created an evolving list of resources around leadership, philanthropy, nonprofit management, and more. 
• India Development Review offers a crowdsourced list of guidelines and practices for organizations, funders, and foundations in India grappling with the effects of COVID-19.

We also have a list of resources specific to the needs of nonprofit organizations that we invite you to share with your grantees.

Please fill out this short form if you'd like to share resources that you've found valuable during the COVID-19 outbreak.