Dear EGAers,
This has been a world-shifting week for all of us in the philanthropic community. First and foremost, we hope that you are all doing okay as we all face this global pandemic, and please know that we are thinking of the health of you and your loved ones, with our hearts towards those who are the least protected and most impacted by the COVID-19 Coronavirus and the immediate actions to curb its effects. In these unusual times as we collectively assess the short and long-term impacts that the virus will have on our communities, we are reaching out to share some of the most innovative messages we have seen to date from our membership and the philanthropy community.
Whether we connect in-person or virtually, being in solidarity with and learning from one another is how we can be stronger together than in our individual responses to this pandemic, and in advancing our shared missions. In the spirit of listening to, and sometimes challenging one another to strengthen community and practice, we hope that you will reflect on these writings and resources from philanthropy:
- Grant Oliphant, President of The Heinz Endowments, “The Ultimate ‘Yes, And’”
- Nonprofit Quarterly feature on Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation, "Doubling Payout: A Foundation Makes the Right Choice"
- Robert Sterling Clark Foundation, “Supporting Our Grantee Partners in the Era of COVID-19”
- Melissa A. Berman, President and CEO of Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors, “COVID-19 Responses and Support”
- NCRP’s “Coronavirus, Boom and Bust Election Funding, and an Impending Recession”
- Phillip Radford, Executive Director of Progressive Multiplier Fund, “A Philanthropic Stimulus Plan for Progressive Nonprofits”
- The William Penn Foundation contributed a $3 million lead gift to launch the PHL COVID-19 Fund, to provide grants to Greater Philadelphia organizations with a successful track record of serving at-risk populations
- An Indigenous perspective to COVID-19, Jim Enote, Chief Executive Officer, Colorado Plateau Foundation
- Mosaic sent out a call for input on partners’ emergent infrastructure needs
- Michael Lerner, President of the Jenifer Altman Foundation, “Resilience: Living Beyond Fear With The Coronavirus”
- Chronicle of Philanthropy Op-Ed “Now Is the Time for Philanthropy to Give More, Not Less” by Aaron Dorfman, NCRP and Ellen Dorsey, Wallace Global Fund
- Ford Foundation, “A Message of Support for Our Grantees”
- Packard Foundation’s list of crisis response resources for nonprofit partners
- Inside Philanthropy profile of local responses to coronavirus, featuring The Seattle Foundation, The Boston Foundation, The San Francisco Foundation, and the Silicon Valley Community Foundation
- Grantmakers for Effective Organizations’ Directory of Foundation Responses to COVID-19
- The Libra Foundation doubles grantmaking in 2020 including their latest docket – $22 million to social justice organizations
- The most important election of your lifetime by Denis Hayes
- Lessons from the Intersection of Coronavirus and Climate Resilience featuring The Kresge Foundation
- The Families and Workers Fund by The Ford Foundation, Schmidt Futures, Open Society Foundations, The JPB Foundation, W.K. Kellogg Foundation, the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Amalgamated Foundation, and others
- Thousand Currents' Executive Director, Solome Lemma, recently wrote a blog to guide funder response to COVID-19
- Thousand Currents launched a blog series which will routinely feature specific updates from grassroots organizations and movements across the global south
EGA as an institution is working remotely and robustly with our amazing Board, our Fall Retreat Program Committee, and with all of our partners to plan how best to continue our signature programming in 2020. You will hear from us soon with updates and more new opportunities to creatively connect in these times. In the meantime, we are hosting member community catch-up conversations for colleagues to talk about immediate foundation responses to COVID-19 and what’s next for environmental funders’ efforts to shift strategies.
We are interested in your ideas on how to communicate and connect creatively. We welcome your ideas beyond our current virtual/webinar opportunities to Malavika Sahai, Communications Manager at msahai@ega.org and we will share our collective ideas.
In the meantime, be well, be bold and be kind (and wash your hands)
Yours in Collaboration,
Rachel & The EGA Team