We envision a State where foundation leaders from every region are engaged in aligning and leveraging resources, developing and implementing inter-sectional approaches to community challenges, and being allies to advocates and community organizers who are addressing the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalized communities throughout New York.
Learn more about our work
here
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Dear Colleagues:
One thing is for sure, the world is a changed and different place than it was just a few short weeks ago. On December 31, government officials in Wuhan, China, confirmed they were treating a different type of illness than the world had never seen before. Like much of the world, some took the illness seriously and others never imagined it would impact their daily lives. Here we are, on March 30, living in a different reality, experiencing a new “norm” that we hope will end soon.
The calls to action for front-line workers such as hospital staff, police and fire responders, grocery store employees, and municipal government staff have been clear – provide for the sick, keep communities safe, and maintain essential functions like trash collection in motion. These are the heroes of this moment, and when this crisis is over they will deserve recognition, and much-needed rest, as well as mental health support, to recover from serving all of us during what is notably one of the toughest moments in our country’s history. Our front-line workers are operating in a new reality, taking direction from leaders who have never had to lead during this type of crisis before. Economic downturns, maybe. But a worldwide infectious pandemic is a new ball game, and we are all learning the rules as we face each day. The need for the federal government to step up and rescue the economy, while slow to mobilize, is in action. We know some will benefit from the $2 trillion CARES Act; many Americans will not.
In philanthropy, our call to action is less pronounced and less clear, but one thing is certain, we are essential. Over the past two weeks,
members of the Engage New York advisory committee
have been meeting with foundation leaders across the state. We have been connecting with nonprofit leaders, front-line staff in various nonprofits and advocacy organizations, and listening to what is needed right now. We are developing a list of resources and ideas to share with leaders across New York State to assist them with developing their strategy for helping their communities meet the most pressing and immediate needs. While each foundation will approach the current crisis differently, on a statewide call we hosted just over a week ago, many leaders appreciated the opportunity to hear and learn from each other. Those who participated shared that they were going to take the information back to their teams to discuss ways their office could step up to the plate at this moment and provide relief to nonprofits across our state, many of whom are delivering critical services and addressing the needs of our most vulnerable neighbors.
Here is what we are learning:
1.Many public charities like community foundations and United Ways are launching local COVID-19 response pooled funds. To learn more about these funds. click on this
link
. This webpage shares links by region and provides other information that is pertinent to the field. We are committed to keeping this map up to date as new information is gathered.
2.Foundations across the state are taking the following immediate actions:
- Minimizing current grant applications and reducing their due diligence processes
- Relaxing current grant requirements and allowing maximum flexibility for dollars to be used as needed;
- Allowing restricted program dollars to be shifted to general operating support;
- Advancing grant payments;
- Lessening reporting requirements or waiving them altogether;
- Providing emergency grants to all current grantees to help cover payroll costs, as well as supplies like food, diapers, formula, and other necessities that normally are not allowed under stated grant guidelines;
- Providing grants to shore up telecommuting needs (laptops, Zoom subscriptions, etc.) and/or distance learning for area school districts;
- Convening nonprofits weekly via video conferencing to hear of current needs;
- Working to develop better connections between current systems like the Department of Health and the Department of Social Services offices to strengthen the safety net for community members;
- Developing FaceBook Live videos for sharing weekly messages to the larger community about local needs, identifying resources, and informing community members about how their foundation is responding to the current crisis;
- Offering mini-grants/micro-grants that promote social cohesion and mental health supports for all community members;
- Providing access to legal and financial experts to help nonprofit leaders manage their cash flow, understand how they can take advantage of the federal stimulus package, maintain their staffing, and take a blended approach to managing their organization's operations.
These are just some of the ideas we are exploring through our network. One thing is certain, this crisis will go on for many more days, even weeks depending on which public health official you listen to on the news. While philanthropy cannot replace or even do the work of government, there are many things our sector can do to assist nonprofits working tirelessly in our communities. The list above sheds light on one of the first things we can do: relax many of our current practices such as cumbersome application processes and reporting requirements that force nonprofits to demonstrate impact in emergency grantmaking situations to ease the burden those processes place on our grantee partners. The second thing our sector can do is help our partners get answers to management questions and offer assurance that we are all in this together. And while this moment calls on foundations to respond to the immediate needs of our communities, our sector must also focus on long-term strategies that focus on recovery. Every community and region of our diverse state deserve the assurance that when the worst is behind us our nonprofit sector will be strong, our cultural assets will remain intact, and the philanthropic sector will have done everything it could to ensure that those things remain true. This means all of us have to dig deep and figure out how to utilize all of our assets now to limit the long-term damage that is to come.
Philanthropy’s call to respond has never been more important or more vital than right now. We must apply our collective expertise to utilize systems-level thinking in approaching the present crisis, convene e different sectors to work cooperatively in new and innovative ways while braiding together resources to meet current needs, and prepare to deploy more resources in the future to address new needs while inspiring all the sectors to operate differently. In nearly 100 years, philanthropy’s expertise, flexibility and resources have never been more needed than at this time.
Sincerely,
Lisa Fasolo Frishman
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ADVOCACY EFFORTS CONTINUE DURING COVID-19
CALLS TO ACTION TO PROTECT NEW YORKERS
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The
New York Immigration Coalition
has launched the
NY United Campaign
, a comprehensive campaign that calls on each layer of government to implement protections to ensure the safety and health of all immigrants. Together with
Justice for Migrant Families
and the
Rochester Never Again
Action they are working together to ensure the health of detained immigrants as well.
Articles of Interest
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As of Saturday, March 28, 2020, the US Census Bureau has announced they are suspending 2020 Census field operations according to guidance from federal, state, and local health officials.
What does this mean? Our nonprofit partners and local governments will have to continue to
utilize digital organizing and other methods to encourage communities across New York State to increase self-response rates. As of Friday, March 27, the Federal self-response rate was 31.6% and New York's self-response was 26.8%.
For Foundation's working with local leaders working towards a complete count,
NY Counts 2020 has developed a suite of
tools and resources for use by nonprofits or Complete Count Committees.
Articles of Interest
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Katal Center for Health, Equity, and Justice is calling for the protection of incarcerated individuals during the COVID-19
crisis. Learn more about their calls to action
here.
Articles of Interest
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