Dear Philanthropy MA community:
With the status of novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in Massachusetts continuing to evolve daily, and as an organization that exists to serve the philanthropic sector and convenes gatherings regularly, Philanthropy Massachusetts is writing to update you on how we are addressing the situation.
First, we continue to monitor the situation, turning to reliable sources of information. The most important sources for us are the Governor’s office,
MA Department of Public Health
, Boston Mayor’s office (where our office is located and where we host many programs), and the
Center for Disease Control (CDC
).
As of now,
all Philanthropy MA sponsored programs in our office space are still happening.
Below we outline precautions we are taking to mitigate exposure. However, we are also working to provide remote participation for as many programs as possible to accommodate those who do not plan to attend in-person gatherings. For events where we partner with another organization, or are using office space that is not ours, we are in conversation with partners and venues.
We are taking the following precautions at events that we convene,
including, but not limited to:
- Increased availability of hand sanitizer and tissues on premises.
- Increased cleaning and disinfection of meeting space.
- Recommending a ‘no-handshake’ policy.
- If you are sick or exhibiting symptoms, or have recently traveled to a CDC designated Level 3 country, please do not attend.
The Resource Center for Philanthropy
at Philanthropy Massachusetts is still open at this time and the above cleaning protocols are also being applied to that space.
As an advocate for equitable treatment of all our colleagues in philanthropy and to prevent stigma and discrimination, we ask program participants not to make determinations of risk based on race or country of origin. While adopting precaution and safety measures into place, we encourage thoughtful consideration of the
stigma associated with COVID-19
.
By now, you’ve likely heard recommendations for personal vigilance to ensure minimal contact with potentially ill individuals, based on health and safety guidelines established by public health officials – we’ve posted a reminder of those
on our website
.
Additionally, here are ways we will continue to help our members respond to COVID-19.
- For Funders, we draw your attention to good resources on how you can support grantees -- all posted on our Disaster and Emergency Relief Resources page.
- We are also planning a teleconference in the coming days to provide space for funders to consider and discuss their role and response in relation to COVID-19.
- For Nonprofits, we are partnering with Massachusetts Nonprofit Network to survey nonprofit organizations to gauge the impact this is having across the sector. For more information regarding the impact on nonprofits, click here.
For now, thank you for continuing to engage with us during these unprecedented times. Please reach out to me or any member of the Philanthropy Massachusetts team in case of questions or any concerns. We will continue to provide updates as things evolve.
Yours,
Jeff
Jeff Poulos, CEO
Philanthropy Massachusetts
