The Covid-19 pandemic literally touches so many issues we track in our network – housing, transportation, land use, climate, water, parks, and the list goes on. We’re monitoring the situation closely, and already adjusting our programming. We’ve been inspired to see how funders within our network are responding to the COVID-19 pandemic to meet the needs of nonprofits they support, and communities they serve, including:
- California Community Foundation
- Central Valley Community Foundation
- Ceres Trust
- Chan Zuckerberg Initiative
- Enterprise Community Partners
- First 5 LA
- Kaiser Permanente
- Latino Community Foundation
- Liberty Hill Foundation
- Los Angeles County Department of Public Health
- NextGen Policy
- Sierra Health Foundation
- Silicon Valley Community Foundation
- The California Endowment
- The California Wellness Foundation
- The San Diego Foundation
- The San Francisco Foundation
- Water Foundation
For more information on philanthropic resources and responses related to COVID-19 that keeps equity, inclusion and justice front and center, check out this resource from TFN (Funders Network for Smart Growth and Livable Communities, the national funder network Smart Growth California is a part of). And to review a letter TFN signed onto with numerous other CEO’s of funder networks, check this out.
Philanthropy California has also put out numerous resources for funders in California. To learn more visit Southern California Grantmakers, Northern California Grantmakers and San Diego Grantmakers. SCG also shared Emerging Equity Practices in Coronovirus responses. Check out this interactive map to see how numerous funders are responding in California, as well as nationally. To learn more about what funders are doing across the country, check out this link from the United Philanthropy Forum. Please also read Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy‘s full letter along with the list of organizations that have signed on in support here. For is also a critical moment to increase your giving (for a more radical and visionary response from philanthropy, check out the Justice Funders).
As we deal with the short term crisis, we’re also aware that this is fundamentally shifting the world as we know it, with long-term consequences that could dramatically change society, for better or worse. For more reading on this topic, check out these links: Politico, post-coronavirus scenarios and scenarios to think the unthinkable.
While we’re sad to miss out on what would have been a fantastic TFN Annual Conference in San Diego, California, March 16-18, 2020, TFN made the right decision to cancel it. Smart Growth California will look for opportunities to incorporate what would have been lifted up at the conference at future webinars, workgroup meetings and funder gatherings in 2020. You can help sustain TFN’s mission by becoming a member, increasing your membership and investing in TFN.
We’re mindful that current precautions and social distancing associated with COVID-19 are teaching us, whether we like it or not, to be resilient and adaptive in our leadership. Even with more of our gatherings going virtual in the short term, know that we’ll still work to nurture what makes this network unique – a space for learning, relationship building, alignment and collaboration in support of cultivating healthy, equitable and sustainable communities across the Golden State.
Take care.
