A message from ITGA Executive Director Beth Bagwell
How can ITGA help you ?
During an "ITGA Connects" Zoom meeting last week on local, state and federal relations, colleagues in California and New York - both heavily impacted by COVID-19 - touched on the importance of asking town-gown stakeholders a simple question: "How can we help  you ?"

This sincere and focused outreach, i.e. not a mass mailing but personalized sends, texts, Zooms and calls, represent the best of ITGA in terms of connectivity and collegiality.

In short, reeling campuses - the lead (and often only) economic driver in hundreds of U.S. college towns - aren't saying, "Can we cut you a check?", but asking how they can help community operations with skills (mostly remotely) and higher-ed connections.

Struggling communities - who know campus finances are in historic flux, too - aren't reaching out with hard asks or words of discouragement, but rather encouragement, i.e., "You have helped make our town what it is over many decades. We are all in this together."

In the coming weeks, and months, your ITGA will be sharing regular updates on tough town-gown realities and inputs from membership on surviving in a crisis, and plans to succeed in the future.

But today, a simple and sincere question for members: How can we help  you , in the here and now?

Please reach out to me at  beth@itga.org  and I'll respond. Thank you for any consideration in this regard.
Stimulus package, early responses
"Already Looking for the Next Stimulus"

"Colleges Get Billions in Coronavirus Relief, but Say Deal Falls Short of Needs"

"Closed campuses, online classes. Struggling colleges will receive $14 billion in coronavirus relief but say it's not enough"

UNCF: $1 Billion for HBCUs, TCUs, MSIs in Federal Coronavirus Stimulus Package"
COVID-19 student volunteers
" Penn State student volunteers stay in State College during COVID-19 outbreak to help fire company"

"They're not seeing coronavirus patients, but Chicago medical students form volunteer teams to help in other ways: 'It felt wrong to do nothing"

Send articles and analyses on the stimulus plan from your community, campus and-or professional organization to outreach@itga.org
Weekend news on the Census
Based on the continuing assessments of guidance from federal, state and local health authorities, the U.S. Census Bureau is suspending 2020 Census operations for two additional weeks to April 15th.

What has worked well and what has been a challenge in your college town? Opinions welcome at outreach@itga.org.
International Town & Gown Association www.itga.org