Building A Philanthropic Strategy in 2021

When we ushered in 2020 a year ago, none of us could have imagined what the next 12 months would bring.  We began the year with the usual and customary revelry, resolutions, and hopes for the future. Two months in, we were on the verge of what would be the beginning of an almost total nationwide lockdown.  It was a precautionary measure to slow the transmission of a deadly disease abbreviated as ‘COVID-19’.  We are now hopeful that, 10 months into the pandemic, we are turning a corner and nearing the end of an unprecedented set of circumstances.

3 Data-Driven Tips to Maximize Your Online Fundraising During this Last Week of the Year

The end of the year is fast approaching and time (and work days) are running out so let me get straight to the point: the single biggest day and week for online giving are coming up. 

Are you ready? 

In our benchmark looking at over $100M in online giving in 2019, we found that 37% of all online year-end revenue comes in during the last week of the year and 15.5% is given on December 31st alone!

Whether you already have a structured plan in place or are scrambling to pull something together for these last few days, here are 5 ideas you can use to maximize your online fundraising in these last few days.

A Data-Driven Approach to Expanding the World of Rated Charities

 

This blog was shared by Data Clinic, the data-for-good arm of Two Sigma, a science and technology-driven financial services company. Data Clinic leverages Two Sigma’s people, data science skills, and engineering know-how to support nonprofits and engage in open source tooling and research that contribute to the
Data for Good movement.

How we partnered with Charity Navigator to inform the expansion of their
rating system to smaller organizations

The giving season is currently in full swing as charities seek to maximize donations for the 2020 calendar year. However, individuals looking to give are confronted with a profuse landscape of nonprofits to choose from, and guidance on how specific charities measure on different criteria is often welcome. Charity Navigator, the long-trusted U.S.-based nonprofit evaluator, released the beta version of its new Encompass Rating System this summer to much acclaim. This revamped rating system, inspired by the insights from our partnership in 2019, expands the number of nonprofits covered from 9,000 to over 160,000 — nearly a 1700% increase.

The American Indian College Fund: A legacy of educating future Native leaders

The civil unrest of 2020 has emboldened Charity Navigator’s commitment to promoting a more equitable social sector by encouraging both organizations and donors to consider aspects of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI)
in their decision-making. 

Our multifaceted approach includes evolving our ratings to assess key measures of equity, generating Hot Topics to help you Give with Confidence to organizations that are founded by diverse leaders who are dedicated to bridging inequities, and partnering with leading foundations to better tell the story of the unmet and often misunderstood needs that uniquely impact underserved communities. 

In recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ month this year, we’ve partnered with
Native Ways Federation to tell the story of the persistent needs and inequities
that afflict our Native American communities.

Covid-19’s impact on Native American communities illustrates the fault lines of inequity in the United States when it comes to Native people. The infection rate among Native Americans is 3.5 greater than white communities due to poverty, limited access to health care, and pre-existing health conditions, according to the Centers for Disease Control. The pandemic does not just threaten Native communities’ health—it also threatens the ability of Native students, who live on remote, rural reservations located in food and technology deserts—to complete a higher education. 

Stock Giving: Making your philanthropy beneficial for all

 

As we near the end of the year, many donors are finalizing their plans for giving. This year has seen generosity unlike other years, and, at the same time, donors are being more intentional with their donations. We all want to know that our hard-earned dollars are being as impactful as possible for the charities we care about. 

The Importance of Home for the Holidays

According to our June 2020 survey of Star rated nonprofits, 72% of organizations have suffered financially due to the pandemic. Additionally, 54% of respondents have
cut back on program services due to the pandemic/economic shutdown. To
overcome  this disruption and to continue to serve communities, many
nonprofits are adapting and innovating. 

Today, we are honored to share a first-hand account of what innovation and adaptation
 look like during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic crisis from
Habitat for Humanity.

When we think of home, we think of it as the place to go to after a long day at work or school. It’s the place where we relax after the daily grind, where we eat our meals, finish homework, spend time with family, and lay our heads at night. 

Lessons We Learned in 2020

According to our June 2020 survey of Star rated nonprofits, 72% of organizations have suffered financially due to the pandemic. Additionally, 54% of respondents have cut back on program services due to the pandemic/economic shutdown. To overcome this disruption and to continue to serve communities, many nonprofits are adapting and innovating.

Today, we are honored to share a first-hand account of what innovation and adaptation look like during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic crisis from the 4-Star rated nonprofit, Rise for Animals.

This year’s scramble for a COVID-19 vaccine has taught us that animal testing requirements have traditionally slowed down efforts to produce cures for emergent human diseases. With the world’s toes tapping in anticipation of an end to the pandemic, many institutions moved their research protocols to include more effective human trials much sooner than normal. I’m hopeful the pandemic will lead to a new age of alternatives to animal experimentation—and to much quicker development of treatments for diseases ranging from COVID to cancer. 

Donor Perspective: Leveraging Charity Navigator to find and support deserving nonprofits

My wife and I use Charity Navigator extensively to help us find the best nonprofits for our donations.  The website gives comprehensive ratings for more than 9,000 charities, as well as summary assessments under the Encompass system for an additional 150,000 nonprofits.  The important thing for us is to decide in advance on what we are really looking for in an organization and then learning how to use Charity Navigator to make it easier to find the right charity.

3 Strategies for Peer-to-Peer Fundraising This Giving Season

While 2020’s year-end giving season looks a little unusual compared to previous years, there are still plenty of ways to engage your supporters and raise funds remotely.

One popular giving season idea is to host a peer-to-peer (P2P) fundraising campaign, where your supporters become champions for your cause and collect donations from their family and friends. If executed effectively, P2P fundraising can help you strengthen your ties with loyal supporters while extending your reach, but it can be challenging to mobilize so many individuals toward your goal.

World AIDS Day 2020

World AIDS Day has been observed annually on December 1st since 1988 when it became the first recognized global health day. The day is used to unify all of us in the fight against HIV and AIDS and to mourn those who have lost their lives to the illness. The HIV pandemic is still incredibly prevalent, with approximately 38 million people across the globe suffering from HIV/AIDS in 2019, according to the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services. Community organizations, government and health officials, and individuals all over the world observe this day as a way to commit to educating people on methods of treatment and overall prevention. 

What is Giving Tuesday?

For many, as the festivities of Thanksgiving come to an end, the holiday season picks up quickly! Immediately following the day of thanks, we find ourselves hopping into our cars and heading off to local malls and shaping centers to participate in yet another great American tradition… Black Friday shopping!

Black Friday led into Small Business Saturday, a time to shop local and support businesses in your backyard, and Small Business Saturday made way for Cyber Monday, the time when we all scour the internet looking for deals on flights and appliances. And as Cyber Monday comes to an end, it ushers in #GivingTuesday, a global day of giving back, this year falling on December 1st.

If you are unfamiliar with #GivingTuesday, here's some information...

In 2012, organizers at the 92Y in New York City launched the first-ever Giving Tuesday on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. They imagined creating a global giving movement by setting aside one day where people around the world would be encouraged to give back with their dollars, their goods, or their time to make a difference in the lives of those around them. #GivingTuesday has grown steadily since then, with more people in more countries around the world participating each year. 

Since 2012, Giving Tuesday has generated over $1 billion for charities in the U.S. alone, and last year, #GivingTuesday campaigns brought in over $1.9 billion in donations with over 27 million people participating by supporting their favorite charity with a monetary gift, donating used goods, or volunteering with a community-based organization. That means that 13% of the U.S. population participated in Giving Tuesday in some way in 2019!

Don't miss out - it's not too late to get involved in #GivingTuesday 2020! You can use Charity Navigator's Advanced Search feature to find a charity to support, or if making a financial donation is not a possibility this year, volunteer - it's giving in a special way. 

Updated by Amanda Knox; originally published on November 20, 2018 by Ashley Post.

As a 501(c)(3) organization itself, Charity Navigator depends on public support to help donors make informed choices. Please consider investing in the future of Charity Navigator by making a donation today.  Donate now >>

A Vote for Nonprofit Ratings

Have you ever donated to or volunteered with a nonprofit only to find little information about them online? We all want reassurance that our gut instinct is correct and that a nonprofit we have formed a connection with has been vetted by an external source. However, with over 1.6 million nonprofits registered with the IRS today, this can prove to be slightly difficult for donors and nonprofit evaluators. 

With the launch of our Encompass Rating System, Charity Navigator now rates over 160,000 nonprofits in some capacity. Yet, there are still many organizations potentially eligible for our traditional star rating that are not currently evaluated. I introduce to you: our vote system for unrated or Encompass rated nonprofits. Due to the high number of unrated nonprofits, our queue allows donors to “vote” to have a nonprofit rated thereby increasing donor engagement with unrated organizations and allowing our team to evaluate specific charities based on donor interest. Many unrated nonprofits have a community of supporters behind them waiting for an evaluation; we want to ensure those voices are heard. 

Redefining Success: Four Things We’ve Learned About Virtual Fundraising Events

According to our June 2020 survey of Star rated nonprofits, 72% of organizations have suffered financially due to the pandemic. Additionally, 54% of respondents have cut this disruption and to continue to serve communities, many nonprofits are back on program services due to the pandemic/economic shutdown. To overcome adapting and innovating.

Today, we are honored to share a first-hand account of what innovation and adaptation

look like during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic crisis

from the 4-Star rated nonprofit, Hope for Haiti.

At Hope for Haiti, we’ve had experience with natural disasters, political/civil unrest, and many other challenges. When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged, those experiences gave us a unique advantage to quickly form an effective programmatic response to the crisis and best prepare our staff for what was to come. The pandemic presented one challenge, however, that we - and the nonprofit industry at-large - had not yet faced at such a grand scale: a crisis that affects the health and economy of both program beneficiaries and donor bases at the same time. With in-person fundraising events no longer an option, our team was tasked with finding novel ways to connect donors to our mission - without donors having to leave their homes.  We try hard to learn from our experiences, build those learnings into our organizational strategy and daily work, and share best practices with others so we can all be better. Here are the top four things we’ve learned: 

Pandemic Ignites New Ways to Fight Hunger

According to our June 2020 survey of Star rated nonprofits, 72% of organizations have suffered financially due to the pandemic. Additionally, 54% of respondents have cut back on program services due to the pandemic/economic shutdown. To overcome this disruption and to continue to serve communities, many nonprofits are adapting and innovating. 

Today, we are honored to share a first-hand account of what innovation and 

adaptation look like during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent 

economic crisis from Action Against Hunger.

Thanksgiving is my favorite U.S. holiday — a time to count our blessings and be grateful for all that we have. It is also a time to consider those who are less fortunate than ourselves, including so many around the globe who are going hungry this year. 

Navigating a Complicated Holiday Season

This holiday season may be the most complicated we’ve ever seen – how do we safely gather and help others while COVID-19 cases increase across the country? With our communities more in need today than ever, we must navigate this pandemic safely in order to achieve our missions. 

Here at Golden, we regularly analyze what non-profits in our network are up to. Organizations that are seeing the most success in the last few months are taking advantage of the situation by tweaking their regular activities a bit while establishing strong safety protocols.

Three things you really want as a donor to keep giving to charity

If you care about giving back, you’ve probably navigated many different charity-donor relationships. While many charities do a great job of keeping their donors in the loop, others can leave you guessing about where your money went, and how exactly your donation helped make the world a better place.

The best charity-donor relationships are honest, open, and respectful. That’s why you can ask charities for what you need - transparency, clarity, and equal partnership in their cause.

Giving to Native-led Nonprofits: Native American Heritage Month and Beyond

The civil unrest of 2020 has emboldened Charity Navigator’s commitment to promoting a more equitable social sector by encouraging both organizations and donors to consider aspects of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) in their decision-making. 

Our multifaceted approach includes evolving our ratings to assess key measures of equity, generating Hot Topics to help you Give with Confidence to organizations that are founded by diverse leaders who are dedicated to bridging inequities, and partnering with leading foundations to better tell the story of the unmet and often misunderstood needs that uniquely impact underserved communities. 

In recognition of Indigenous Peoples’ month, we’ve partnered with Native Ways Federation to tell the story of the persistent needs and inequities that afflict our Native American communities.

In 1990, the United States designated the month of November as Native American Heritage Month. This month is intended as a time to learn about and celebrate the rich and diverse histories and cultures, as well the important contributions, of the 6.9 million Native people and 574 Native nations of the United States. It is also important to recognize that learning about, and honoring, the Indigenous nations and people of this country should not be reserved for one month out of the year. This country was founded on Native land, and the original stewards and caretakers of this land have paid an enormous price as a result. It is important that all Americans learn this collective history, including its present-day impacts, in order for us to heal and move forward as a nation. 

Unwavering, Accountable Giving Drives Maximum Impact for our Veterans

According to our June 2020 survey of Star rated nonprofits, 72% of organizations have suffered financially due to the pandemic. Additionally, 54% of respondents have cut back on program services due to the pandemic/economic shutdown. To overcome this disruption and to continue to serve communities, many nonprofits are adapting and innovating. 

Today, we are honored to share a first-hand account of what innovation and 

adaptation look like during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent 

economic crisis from Call of Duty Endowment.

At a time of unprecedented need, many philanthropic organizations and generous donors have risen to the occasion, supporting organizations that render critical services.  The key question, however, is have they done so in a way that maximizes social impact, helping as many people as possible?

Estate Planning During the Covid-19 Pandemic

It’s only natural that many people find themselves questioning their mortality as the coronavirus pandemic continues to rage on without a cure in sight. With so much uncertainty and risk looming on the horizon, families and their loved ones are thinking about the next steps to take in case they were to fall ill. This not only applies to at-risk elderly individuals, but also to adults with predisposing conditions, victims of intensified domestic violence abuse, and children with disabilities.

Estate planning is something you should always have in mind, but this holds true now more than ever. Some are revisiting and revising the documents they’ve drawn up decades ago, while many others are frantically scrambling to write wills and make critical decisions regarding who will be in charge of their medical care and finances if they become incapacitated — which is a process that should never be rushed.

The Devastating Impact of Disasters in Native American Communities

November is American Indian Heritage Month and as we celebrate the rich culture, traditions and contributions of Native Americans and Alaska Natives, we also recognize that Native communities have endured challenges that many Americans will likely never encounter.

Whether it’s tackling a severe weather emergency or reducing risk amid a global health pandemic, reservation communities face unique barriers to disaster aid and emergency response. Year-round realities such as food insecurity and contaminated water, overcrowded housing, lack of internet access and health care make navigating an emergency even more complex for tribal communities, especially those located on remote and impoverished reservations.  

How to Maximize Your Year-End Giving: A Charity Navigator Guide

The holiday season is a time filled with charitable traditions, we give gifts, food, and share quality time. This is the time of year when we think about giving back to our communities, and is also the last chance to maximize the charitable tax deduction. 

So, how do you make sure maximizing impact is also a part of your year-end giving traditions?  Charity Navigator has put together a list of 4 tips to make impactful giving a stress-free and fun part of your holiday season.

What is Donor Retention and Why Should I Care?

Does it feel like charities have a way of getting in touch with you everywhere? Do they show up in your mailbox, your inbox, and even call your home?

At Charity Navigator, we’ve heard from many donors who say this approach is annoying. Some are irritated by the number of solicitations they receive from organizations, others question the efficiency (and legitimacy) of charities who solicit donations over the phone.

MENTOR Aims to Expand Virtual Mentoring During A Time of Social Distancing

According to our June 2020 survey of Star rated nonprofits, 72% of organizations have suffered financially due to the pandemic. Additionally, 54% of respondents have cut back on program services due to the pandemic/economic shutdown. To overcome this disruption and to continue to serve communities, many nonprofits are adapting and innovating. 

Today, we are honored to share a first-hand account of what innovation and 

adaptation look like during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent 

economic crisis from MENTOR.

MENTOR works to advance equity and close the mentoring gap because we believe all young people deserve the opportunity to explore and fulfill their potential. We create solutions that prioritize relationships for young people, help volunteers find youth mentoring opportunities, and leverage the diverse expertise of staff, youth, and local Affiliates to develop resources for quality mentoring, including the foundational Elements of Effective Practice for Mentoring. As we mark National Mentoring Day in October, and soon National Mentoring Month in January, we’re continuing our focus on expanding access to meaningful connections for young people within the digital environment – helping ensure that physical distance does not lead to social disconnection.

Addressing Critical Needs in Native Communities During COVID-19 and Beyond

Upon notification of the COVID-19 pandemic and its potential impact on the entire globe, Tribal nations implemented some of the most stringent preventative measures to protect their communities. 

Pandemics and disease are far too familiar to Native American communities. The intentional introduction of smallpox into Native communities was one of our earliest introductions to the dangers that new viruses can present.  

Domestic Violence and Abuse: Nonprofits Providing Care, Support and Safe Haven

Violence against women and girls, including domestic abuse, affects millions around the world. The U.S. Department of Justice estimates that 1.3 million women (and about 835,000 men) are victims of physical violence from their partner each and every year. However, domestic violence expands further than just bruises and black eyes. It includes humiliation, manipulation, threats, isolation, stalking and more. 

Philanthropic Strategies During the Pandemic & Pre-Election

Today, Charity Navigator has been graciously provided with an exclusive, first-hand account of charitable planning and giving by a married couple that utilize Charity Navigator’s tools and resources to inform their giving.  As donors who look at their support as an investment in the future of causes close to their hearts, they have remained committed to philanthropy during the COVID-19 pandemic, highlighting how they structured their investment strategy before and, now, during months of an economic recession. 

Steps in advance of COVID-19

We have taken a number of steps in advance of major events that can ensure that we could continue to donate to nonprofit organizations.

Donors are looking for tools to help guide their giving in the pandemic.

When the pandemic hit the U.S. in March 2020, nonprofits across the country immediately mobilized to provide support in innumerable ways. Donors realized that donations were needed to support COVID-19 relief efforts, in addition to the charities they were already supporting. Those who were in a position to make additional donations gave generously. 

As a grantmaker, Vanguard Charitable has the privilege of working with donors as they support charities on the current crisis's front lines. Vanguard Charitable’s donors have given in record numbers because they are uniquely positioned to spring into action, with charitable funds already primed for sending. 

Navigating Access to Breast Cancer Detection, Prevention and Treatment Amid the Pandemic

According to our June 2020 survey of Star rated nonprofits, 72% of organizations have suffered financially due to the pandemic. Additionally, 54% of respondents have cut back on program services due to the pandemic/economic shutdown. To overcome this disruption and to continue to serve communities, many nonprofits are adapting and innovating. 

Today, we are honored to share a first-hand account of what innovation and 

adaptation look like during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent 

economic crisis from the Breast Cancer Alliance.

There are few words more terrifying for a patient to hear than “you have cancer.” While this COVID-19 pandemic has left all of us in its wake, be it the isolation, loss of jobs, health insurance, compromised health or the loss of a loved one, there has perhaps never been a more frightening time to be grappling with a cancer diagnosis as well.

ImpactMatters and Charity Navigator have joined forces to rate nonprofit impact

Written by Tamsin Chen, Elijah Goldberg and Masha Winchell — former staff of ImpactMatters and now members of Charity Navigator’s new Impact Unit. The Impact Unit leads the development of the Encompass Rating System’s Impact & Results beacon.

An announcement...We’re excited to share two very big pieces of news today.

ImpactMatters — the organization we started five years ago to help donors find high-impact nonprofits — has been acquired by Charity Navigator. As of today, we are officially part of the Charity Navigator team, tasked with developing the Impact & Results beacon of the new Encompass Rating System.

Today also marks the very first time that Charity Navigator is rating nonprofits on their impact — something it has long hoped to do in service of its mission to “make impactful philanthropy easier for all.” These ratings were originally produced by ImpactMatters and have now been adapted for the Encompass Rating System. We are so proud that our work has catalyzed Charity Navigator’s venture into impact rating.

Embracing the Culture and Challenges in Disaster Recovery Work in Tribal Communities

Happy Indigenous Peoples’ Day.  No matter how a state may reference the day, whether it is recognized as Native American Day, First Peoples’ Day, or American Indian Day, in Indian Country, it is a day to celebrate people and communities who have responded with resiliency to European explorers' atrocities and the colonization that followed. 

Some states continue to mark “Columbus Day” for Christopher Columbus, but in 1990, South Dakota became the first state to recognize the history, culture and contributions of Indigenous people in the U.S.  The Pew Research Center says 21 states have this day as a state holiday, with 13 states and dozens of cities recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day. 

From Function to Feeling: Crafting a Values-First Story to Create a Deeper Connection with Donors

While working with purpose-driven organizations on branding and storytelling for the last twenty years here at Hyperakt, we’ve learned a lot about what lights a fire in nonprofit audiences. One of our favorite frameworks to apply to the field of mission-driven work is inspired by Simon Sinek’s golden circle: that there are three fundamental components to how you introduce yourself.  

Say it with me: “So, what do you do?” Not the most spine-tingling conversation starter, right? What about:

• “What motivates you?” 
• “What are your values?” 
• “What’s your reason for being?” 

Now we’re talking. 

Employee Giving: 4 Ways to Make the Most of Giving Programs

Corporate giving programs are a powerful resource in which businesses contribute to the charitable organizations their employees support, either through donations or volunteer hours. 

Any nonprofit can benefit from corporate giving. However, many either underestimate these programs or simply don’t know they exist. But through corporate giving, supporters can make the most of their contributions, corporations get a positive public image, and organizations receive the funds to pursue their missions!

Charity Navigator certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’

Charity Navigator has been certified as a great workplace by the independent analysts at Great Place to Work, the global authority on workplace culture, for the first time this year. In order to achieve certification, 70% of employees must respond having had a consistently positive experience at the workplace, however, survey results from Charity Navigator employees hit and exceeded that benchmark. A unanimous 100% of employees responded that Charity Navigator is, in their opinion, a great place to work. 

The certification is based on direct employee feedback provided through an anonymous survey about their experience working at Charity Navigator, enabling honesty in the results. The survey and rating system used by Great Place to Work is based on over 25 years of global research in understanding employee perspective on what makes their workplace culture great and how companies can improve.

Celebrating Hispanic Heritage Month

Hispanic Heritage Month celebrates the history, culture, and contributions of the U.S. Latinx and Hispanic communities. This month offers a time for Americans with roots in Hispanic countries and cultures to honor their heritage and to recognize the impact these cultures have had on American society as we know it today. 

Early Education Taskforce: Helping Providers Navigate the Child Care Crisis

According to our June 2020 survey of Star rated nonprofits, 72% of organizations

have suffered financially due to the pandemic. Additionally, 54% of respondents have cut back on program services due to the pandemic/economic shutdown. To overcome this disruption and to continue to serve communities, many nonprofits are adapting and innovating. 

Today, we are honored to share a first-hand account of what innovation and 

adaptation look like during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent 

economic crisis from The Family Conservancy.

The Family Conservancy’s (TFC) work to improve the early education system has enabled them to forge close partnerships with thousands of child care providers and programs in the Kansas City Community. Over the years, these partnerships have deepened TFC’s understanding of challenges and opportunities facing the sector. 

Nonprofit Hackathons: Hacking for Social Good

If you are anything like me, the word “hackathon” makes you think of an emergent breach in security or people secretly stealing digital information from a government or business. Though this may have been how every data theft movie portrayed this idea, today, “hacking” no longer exclusively implies criminal intrusion. 

Hackathons now refer to marathon-styled events where groups of people come together to problem-solve. Most commonly held within the technology industry, these events traditionally involve computer programmers and others collaborating on software development with a specific focus on designing and building out functioning applications or programs. 

3 Reasons Wealth Screening is Critical During a Crisis

The challenges of nonprofit fundraising have been made even more difficult by the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, it’s more important than ever to conduct thorough prospect research to ensure campaign success. And a key component of this research is wealth screening.

Wealth screening is research that determines a donor’s giving capacity by examining indicators like real estate holdings, stock information, past charitable giving, and other records.

Encompassing a Nonprofit's Story Begins with the Form 990

For nearly two decades, Charity Navigator has helped donors make better giving decisions and served to strengthen the sector in the process by promoting greater accountability and transparency practices. Until recently, our ratings applied to a subset of organizations that were predominantly older, larger, and better funded. This year, we set out to expand both the scope and depth of our ratings by developing a new rating system that encompasses over 150,000 charities and enables our site users to assess financial health metrics within the greater context of the organization’s overall effectiveness. 

Remote Learning in East Los Angeles during COVID-19

According to our June 2020 survey of Star rated nonprofits, 72% of organizations have suffered financially due to the pandemic. Additionally, 54% of respondents have cut back on program services due to the pandemic/economic shutdown. To overcome this disruption and to continue to serve communities, many nonprofits are adapting and innovating.

Today, we are honored to share a first-hand account of what innovation and adaptation look like during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic crisis from PUENTE Learning Center.

Over the last several months, PUENTE has adapted to COVID-19 by providing high-quality distance learning, handing out laptops to families in need, and distributing free meals to our community members. Even though the way we deliver programs has changed, our mission remains the same.

6 Ways to Expand the Impact of Your COVID-19 Giving

We have seen incredible generosity since the outbreak of the pandemic. A new report on philanthropy and COVID-19 giving by Candid and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) offers a jaw-dropping figure: Institutional grantmakers and major donors gave more than $11.9 billion in response to the global pandemic during the first half of 2020 alone. 

This amount is nothing short of inspiring. For comparison, it is 16 times more than funding for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria – combined. But now, more than any other time in recent history, philanthropy in all forms must continue to strive toward generosity that is as unprecedented as this pandemic is. 

Helping Voting and Democracy in a Pandemic

According to our June 2020 survey of Star rated nonprofits, 72% of organizations have suffered financially due to the pandemic. Additionally, 54% of respondents have cut back on program services due to the pandemic/economic shutdown. To overcome this disruption and to continue to serve communities, many nonprofits are adapting and innovating. 

Today, we are honored to share a first-hand account of what innovation and adaptation look like during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent economic crisis from FairVote.

FairVote is a nonpartisan organization considered to be one of the leading electoral reform organizations working to give voters a stronger voice on Election Day. In a year when many people care deeply about a fair process where everyone can cast a vote that counts without compromising their health, we’ve been busy.