COVID-19 Nonprofit Resources

We are compiling resources that may be helpful to our nonprofit partners during this difficult time. Below are links to a selection of COVID-19 resources and curated sites. We will update this list as new information becomes available.

Candid is compiling a comprehensive list of funds specifically established in the wake of COVID-19. View the full list of funds here. In addition to this list, Candid is also compiling RFP announcements here.

Candid also operates a website called GrantSpace, which lists grant/funding opportunities for the following groups:

• Grants for Nonprofits (this includes the Candid list above but other links as well)
• Grants for Individuals
• Grants for Artists (all disciplines)
• Grants for Small Businesses
• **International Aid (coming soon)

Open Road Alliance has an open RFP process for grants and loans here.

** Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business has a searchable database of capital opportunities for nonprofits here.

** Global Resources are available from the Worldwide Initiatives for Grantmaker Support (WINGS) here.

CalNonprofits is maintaining a database of funding opportunities for nonprofits and individuals in California here. These include:

• US Small Business Administration Disaster Loan Assistance: low-interest, long-repayment loans of up to $2 million to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable and other bills that can’t be paid because of the disaster’s impact (nonprofits of all sizes are eligible). You can find a helpful guide to applying for the loans here.
• California Small Business Loan Guarantee Program & Disaster Relief Loan Guarantee Program(nonprofits are eligible)
• COVID-19 Emergency Funding and Artist Resources
• National, state and regional community foundation relief funds
• California Wellness Foundation emergency relief funds
• Horizons Foundation LGBTQ+ emergency relief fund (for Bay Area nonprofits only)

Fiscal Management Associates offers a Payroll Protection Program Toolbox and additional resources such as:

• Reserve Fund Policy Template
• Cash Flow Projection Template (video tutorial)
• Revenue Scenario Planning Tool

Nonprofit Finance Fund offers resources including:

• Cash Flow Tool to help nonprofits determine monthly cash flow projections
• Scenario Template to quickly determine operating expenses and surplus/deficit
• “Tell Your Financial Story” guide with tips on how to narrate financial challenges and plans

SeaChange offers a decision framework for nonprofit leaders and boards, including financial decisions.

Additional Resources

• The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has a small business guide and checklist for the coronavirus emergency loans
• Small Business Development Centers offer TA support for small businesses
• A curated collection of COVID-related resources for small businesses

Boards and Governance

• BoardSource: A Q&A and collection of resources from a nonprofit board governance organization about the role and responsibilities of nonprofit boards in crisis situations, emphasizing the importance of steadfast leadership, adaptability, and contingency planning.

Centering Equity

• Asian American Pacific Islander Emergency Response Network: Born out of a collaboration between the National Council of Asian Pacific Americans (NCAPA) and other nonprofit groups in response to COVID-19, the Emergency Response Network offers a compilation of resources on health, hate incidents, small business, and more to support the Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander communities.
• Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAAJ) Resources to Stand Against Racism: AAAJ is curating resources to help address the racism and xenophobia related to the coronavirus, including tools to document and report hate and virtual trainings about bystander interventions.
• Women’s Funding Network (WFN) Resources for Combating Domestic Abuse: In response to a surge in domestic violence during the COVID-19 crisis, WFN and other partners launched the #SignalforHelp campaign to provide guidance to survivors of violence and those who want to help.
• Racial Equity Tools’ COVID-19 Racial Equity & Social Justice Resources: A comprehensive list of resources to help communities and activists address COVID-19 with a racial equity lens.
• Disability Rights Fund Resources on COVID-19 and Persons with Disabilities: Links to information on disability-inclusive responses to COVID-19.
• Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy Resources on Equity during COVID-19: A curation of equity-focused articles and resources for funders.
• Equal Rights Advocates COVID-19 Resources: A round-up of the latest news and resources related to the crisis.
• First Nations Development Institute COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund: A fund supporting Native communities affected by the pandemic.
• FSG Equity Content: A feed of all of the consulting agency’s resources and writing on equity.
• Funders for LGBTQ Issues Funding Resources in the COVID-19 Response: A collection of LGBTQ-focused resources for funders and nonprofits.
• PolicyLink Commentary on COVID-19 & Race: Weekly articles analyzing the racial implications of the crisis.
• ProInspire Resources on Equity and Leadership: Tools for individuals and organizations to advance race equity and inclusive leadership during crises.
• Transforming White Privilege Training: A training program about white privilege and its consequences.
• United Philanthropy Forum Hub for Racial Justice Calls to Action: A round-up of calls for racial justice and resources from Forum members.

The virtual world – telework and technology

• TechSoup has compiled technology resources for nonprofits impacted by COVID-19, and, in partnership with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, designed a comprehensive guide to IT disaster response planning and recovery.
• The Harvard Business Review articles “What’s Your Company’s Emergency Remote-Work Plan?” and “What It Takes to Run a Great Virtual Meeting” provide practical tips for managing staff in roles that are conducive to remote arrangements.
• For organizations that have an upcoming event planned, Communiqué Conferencing’s “How to Change a Physical Event to a Virtual Conference” offers helpful guidance.
• Virtual Meetings Untangled: Planning. Facilitating. Engaging Board Members (BoardSource)
• Grantmaking During Disasters and Tax-Favored Financial Assistance to Employees (PKF O’Connor Davies)
• 27 Practical Ideas to Help Keep Your Organization Up and Running During the Pandemic (PKF O’Connor Davies)
• Maintaining Human Connection in a Virtual World(Foundant Technologies Webinar Recording)
• If You Never Worked from Home Before, Here are 10 Suggestions #Coronavirus (SHRM)
• Policies and templates:
  • Letter/Instructions for Using Zoom during Board Meetings (download sample document)
  • Sample telecommuting policy (SHRM – Society for Human Resource Management)
  • Shorter telecommuting policy(ThinkHR)
• Platforms: Google and Microsoft are offering limited free access to their business-level tools, GoToMeetings is offering free three-month remote work tools package, Google Hangouts Premium is free through July 1, Microsoft Teams is free for six months, Dropbox Premium is free for three months, and Higher Logic is offering free virtual conference/event tools.
• Net Hope has a long list of additional tools that are available to nonprofits here.

Operations and fundraising

• Department of Labor: Guidance on Families First Coronavirus Response Act and Employee Leave
• Gallup: COVID-19 Has My Teams Working Remotely: A Guide for Leaders
• US Chamber of Commerce Foundation: Guidance for Employers to Plan and Respond to Coronavirus (COVID-19)
• WHO: Getting Your Workplace Ready for COVID-19
• Coronavirus Tech Handbook: A crowdsourced resource for technologists building things related to the coronavirus outbreak
• The Crisis Planning Checklist presents key steps that organizations can review to ensure that they are prepared for crisis response and operational continuity. In addition, the Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery Plan Template provides the outline for a thorough and highly detailed action plan that can be used to respond to low, marginal, and critical disasters.
• The article “Nonprofit guide to COVID planning” outlines what major considerations nonprofits should be ready to address, such as employee care and financial planning, and offers suggestions for how to respond to them.
• This article on fundraising events and public health provides a roadmap for nonprofits that are deciding whether or not to move forward with planned events.
• The article “COVID-19 Resources: How to Reach Your Donors and Volunteers” offers recommendations for ways organizations can continue to build and strengthen relationships with those in their networks without in person events and/or meetings.
• Bloomerang has compiled a frequently updated list of COVID-19 fundraising advice.
• Nonprofit Times has shared their presentation on COVID and fundraising.
• Business Continuity Plan Template: Nonprofit New York has shared a sample business continuity and disaster recovery plan to help nonprofits manage a disruption in operations (temporarily free to non-members).
• In “No Business Continuity Plan? Take These 4 Steps,” The Nonprofit Risk Management Center offers a simple “quick-start framework” to use when your nonprofit faces an interruption to its operations.

Staff well-being

• Harvard Business Review: That Discomfort You’re Feeling is Grief
• For guidance on caring for your mental health and those of your employees, this article in Forbes by Kelly Greenwood, and this one by Kristie Brewer in BBC News, offer some helpful insights and suggestions.
• The Chronicle of Higher Education piece on “Why You Should Ignore All That Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressure” explains the stages of processing and adaptation that many humans experience.
• A series published in SSIR investigates the connection between inner well-being and social change, suggesting that “supporting the inner well-being of change makers can boost capacity for innovation and collaboration, and ultimately lead to more effective solutions to social and environmental challenges.”
• NPR: Coping With Anxiety Over COVID-19
• Psychology Today: Sacred Anxiety and the Silver Lining of COVID-19
• US Chamber of Commerce Foundation: “COVID-19 Workplace Tips for Employees” provides best practices based on CDC recommendations for all employers and employees.
• Fun and engaging handwashing posters from the CDC.

Communications

• Communications Network Coronavirus Crisis Comms Triage Kit: Membership group for nonprofit communicators offers detailed crisis comms tips, links to sample messaging from a broad variety of nonprofit groups in its membership, COVID-19 webinars, and more.
• CDC COVID-19 Communications Resources: CDC’s official materials supporting COVID-19 crisis communications includes a social media toolkit, press materials, an image library and more.
• CDC Crisis Communications Resources: A crisis and emergency risk manual for communicators based on psychological and communication sciences, studies in issues management, and practical lessons learned from emergency responses.
• Frameworks Institute: Communications research org offers a new email series on framing COVID-19: sign up for email alerts and updates.
• Resource Media’s Media Relations Tipsheet for Communicating in a Coronavirus Era: Nonprofit communications firm offers to-the-point advice on engaging media right now.
• The Race Class Narrative’s COVID-19 Messaging Guide: Rooted in the research of Anat Shenker Osorio, this messaging guide emphasizes values of interdependence, mutual solidarity, shared purpose and collective action.

Employee and employer resources

• Labor Agency Chart: Benefits for Workers Impacted by COVID-19
• Americans with Disabilities Act compliance
• COVID-19 FAQs on laws enforced by the California Labor Commissioner’s Office
• CA Labor and Workforce Development Agency COVID-19 Resources for Employers and Workers
• California Employment Development Department COVID-19 Resources
• Centers for Disease Control & Prevention: COVID-19 Resources for Businesses and Employers
• Employers can receive 60-day extensions on payroll tax (scroll down to “Tax Assistance”)
• Energ!ze: Resources for supporting volunteer efforts during Coronavirus
• Harvard Business Review’s “8 Questions Employers Should Ask About the Coronavirus” is a valuable reference for any employer, with topics including visitor and travel policies.
• HR Resources for Responding to COVID-19: Advice from NonprofitHR, including immediate steps to take to safeguard your workforce now and beyond the COVID-19 season.

Pro bono support

• Catchafire is offering special assistance to any nonprofit whose work has been impacted by COVID-19, and their community of volunteers is ready to respond quickly to your needs by collaborating with you virtually and 100% pro bono.
• BoardSource is answering and sharing questions that they are hearing from nonprofit board and staff leaders.

Resource hubs

• Candid.org hosts a comprehensive, US-focused resource hub for funders and nonprofits with everything from relief funds to resources for nonprofits to a summary of key articles.
• Independent Sector offers “Information on COVID-19,” a curated list of resources and articles to help members of the charitable sector serve their communities.
• First Nations Development Institute hosts a comprehensive resource hub focused on native communities across the US.
• Council on Foundations offers a US, funder-focused resource hub.
• **IDR offers a crowdsourced list of guidelines and practices for organizations, funders, and foundations in India grappling with the effects of COVID-19.
• The World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control continue to be go-to sources for the latest developments and recommended actions.
• BoardSource is answering and sharing questions that they are hearing from nonprofit board and staff leaders.
• Bridgespan curated a list of articles and resources to help funders and nonprofits navigate this crisis and its implications.
• Philanthropy CA compiled a robust list of links to COVID-19 information hubs, articles, equity-focused resources, policy briefings, and communications strategies.