This section provides additional information on the nonprofits we mention in Urgent Needs to Address Now, listed in the order in which they appear. We also provide information on the major, relevant national and global COVID-19 relief funds, as well as public sources of information you can use to conduct additional research.
From CHIP’s review of more than 300 news sources and past applied research, we identified over 60 nonprofit organizations for review. We looked for nonprofits addressing current COVID-19 related needs in ways that are consistent with past analysis of what was effective in similar situations. While many nonprofits are doing excellent work, we included these organizations based on one or more of the following criteria: they are among the best-established providers and pioneers in the space; scaling up models into different settings; currently working in especially hard-hit areas; or operating programs that seem especially replicable. Before we listed them, we screened them to understand their donation capability and to avoid any red flags in leadership and financing.
Dashboards
CHIP’s Regional COVID Response Dashboard collected grant award data from 13 COVID-19 response funds in Southeastern Pennsylvania and Southern New Jersey and visualized the funding against indicators of community need. This dashboard serves as a community asset to help all funders plan beyond the initial relief efforts.
Candid is compiling a list of funds specifically established in the wake of coronavirus, with a focus on funds hosted at US-based foundations that serve nonprofits.
Giving Compass is compiling a comprehensive list and interactive map of vetted response and relief funds for COVID-19.
The COVID Racial Data Tracker, a collaboration between the COVID Tracking Project and the Boston University Center for Antiracist Research, is gathering complete and up-to-date race and ethnicity data on COVID-19 in the United States.
The RVAgreen 2050 Climate Equity Index, an interactive map tool created by the City of Richmond Office of Sustainability, allows users to explore each Census tract through metrics including COVID-19 infection risk, climate impacts, social vulnerability factors, built assets, and natural resources.
COVID-19 Response Funds
Listed in order of appearance in Urgent Needs & Nonprofits to Give to
COVID-19 Relief Funds. To fund nonprofits answering COVID-19 needs, many local, state, and international foundations have opened COVID-19 response funds to fill critical gaps. Inside Philanthropy reports 100+ COVID-19 response funds, with community foundations leading in this space. The Council on Foundations has a Community Foundation Locator that can help you find regional response funds.
World Health Organization COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund supports health care practices and information on COVID-19, including the advanced medical systems of Europe as well as those that are already under-resourced.
Health
Listed in order of appearance in Urgent Needs & Nonprofits to Give to
WaterAid.org is deploying handwashing and hygiene expertise to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in more than 30 countries. In addition to adapting existing programs to include appropriate social distancing, WaterAid is installing water and handwashing infrastructure in health centers, markets, and transit stations.
Plan International works in over 75 countries in the world to advance children’s rights and equality for girls. In response to COVID-19, Plan International is focused on communicating public health information, installing handwashing facilities, and distributing hygiene kits.
CARE International, which has a specific focus on women and girls and the most vulnerable in society, is supporting 17 of the highest risk countries around the world in combating the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting training and information sharing on hygiene and sanitation best practices, installing soap and handwashing stations, conducting handwashing demonstrations, and tackling barriers to good hand hygiene.
International Medical Corps delivers healthcare services to communities affected by war, natural disaster, and disease, focusing on training to help communities return to self-reliance. In response to COVID-19, IMC is working with local and national authorities in the U.S. and 29 other countries to provide expertise, equipment, training, and triage and treatment services.
Partners in Health delivers community-based care around the world. In response to COVID, PIH is working directly alongside ministries of health and other COVID-19 responders to control the spread of the virus and deliver care. In the U.S., they are assisting the state of Massachusetts with contact tracing.
Build Health International builds health infrastructure for the poor in global settings. BHI is working with partners in low-resource settings in Africa and the Caribbean to assess infrastructure needs, develop designs for COVID-19 treatment centers, and design protocols for infection control.
Last Mile Health, founded in 2007 to deliver health care to remote areas, is partnering with governments — starting with Liberia, where it was founded — to address COVID-19 response priorities, including training, equipping, and mobilizing community and frontline health workers.
Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders is responding to COVID-19 by providing emergency medical treatment to victims of disaster around the globe. In addition to providing care in the countries where it already works, MSF is assisting the COVID-19 response in Italy, Spain, Switzerland, France, Norway, Greece, and Belgium.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline provides free, confidential emotional support and guidance to individuals in suicidal crisis or emotional distress 24/7/365. With a network of 150 local call centers, the Lifeline is responding to a growing influx of calls related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crisis Text Line provides free, confidential crisis intervention via SMS/text messaging 24/7/365 with a live, trained crisis counselor in the U.S., UK, and Canada. Crisis Text Line is responding to a spike in texts to the hotline due to stress and anxiety associated with coronavirus and rising rates of unemployment. The number of crisis volunteers has doubled since the start of the pandemic.
National Council for Behavioral Health, a national membership coalition of over 3,000 mental health and addiction provider organizations, has developed a Relief Fund to increase behavioral health providers’ capacity to continue to provide services to 10 million adults, children, and families. Funders may also support their local or state behavioral health group (for example, the NY Coalition for Behavioral Health or the Mental Health Association of San Francisco).
Fountain House, which provides individuals with serious mental illness (SMI) in New York City an opportunity to live, work, and learn in a community of mutual support, has transitioned life-sustaining services to be digital and home-based in order to best serve their members who can no longer attend clubhouse activities in person, but still need the social connection vital to individuals living with SMI.
Child Mind Institute works with children and families struggling with mental health and learning disorders, provides education and care, and advances research. In response to COVID-19, Child Mind Institute is increasing their capacity to provide telehealth services via daily videochats with clinicians and remote evaluations, as well as developing resources for parents.
The Harm Reduction Research and Treatment Lab at the University of Washington has released guidance for how community-based programs can plan ahead, prioritize, and prepare staff for things like employee absence, participant medication continuity, when to use PPE, and when/how to offer extra supplies for participants. In addition, they have released comprehensive guidance for those who use drugs on practicing safer drug use within the context of COVID-19.
The Center for Harm Reduction Therapy in San Francisco and Oakland have adapted their program by developing a phone support line staffed by their therapists, adding COVID-19 screening to their outreach services, distributing more naloxone and sterile syringes, and shifting pop-up meal and therapy services to outreach services within homeless encampments to prevent individuals from congregating in one area.
Food
Listed in order of appearance in Urgent Needs & Nonprofits to Give to
FeedingAmerica.org is a network of 200 food bank members that together form the largest provider of charitable food assistance in the United States. Giving to their COVID-19 Response Fund will help food banks secure resources to meet local needs, including building inventories, fulfilling emergency food boxes, and shifting operations to mobile and drive-through distributions to support social distancing.
Global FoodBanking Network supports 943 food banks in 40 countries with financing, partnerships with suppliers, and technical assistance. Their COVID-19 Response Fund supports member food banks.
Meals on Wheels, which has been delivering meals and social contact to seniors since 1954, has a COVID-19 Response Fund to replenish food supplies and adjust to social distancing with additional transportation, personnel, and tech-based efforts to check in on isolated seniors.
No Kid Hungry has made emergency grants to 147 schools, food banks, and community groups across 40 states and the District of Columbia to help meet the changing needs.
Safe Shelter
Listed in order of appearance in Urgent Needs & Nonprofits to Give to
National Coalition to End Homelessness is a national network of over 10,000 providers, public agencies, and private partners working to end chronic homelessness and now respond to COVID-19. NCEH is responding to COVID-19 by providing guidance for state and local governments, state Medicaid agencies, and Medicaid health plans to support this particularly vulnerable population.
National Low Income Housing Coalition is leading a COVID-19 Disaster Housing Recovery Coalition advocating emergency rental assistance and eviction prevention assistance, a national moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, and emergency funds for homelessness service providers, housing authorities, and housing providers.
The Homeless Prenatal Program (HPP) is a family resource center in San Francisco that has served over 85,000 homeless and low-income families, particularly mothers motivated by pregnancy and parenthood. HPP has adapted their service offerings in response to COVID-19 to provide remote case management and continue to deliver essential services including meals and supplies.
Covenant House provides housing and supportive services to youth facing homelessness. In response to COVID-19, Covenant House locations in all cities are remaining open while practicing safe social distancing, and they’re adapting their model to take in and support college students left homeless after unexpected campus closures.
The New York Immigrant Coalition (NYIC) has been a long-time advocate for immigrants and all New Yorkers, particularly those that live in lower-income communities. Their #NYunited Fund supports efforts to ensure the health and safety of New York’s 4 million immigrants during the pandemic.
Women Against Abuse advocates for and provides services to victims of domestic violence in Philadelphia. In response to COVID-19, WAA is assisting individuals in safety planning for sheltering in place with an abusive partner, as well as continuing to operate emergency shelters and providing support to individuals filing for emergency protective orders, ensuring that they understand the courts are still open to address such matters.
International Rescue Committee, working with refugees in 40 countries, including the U.S., Greece, Italy, Syria, and Yemen, is managing coronavirus response within refugee communities.
Pathways to Housing PA uses a Housing First model to provide homes to people without the precondition of sobriety — a model that has led to discontinued substance use, greater participation in job training programs, and fewer days of hospitalization. In response to COVID-19, Pathways is continuing regular services as much as possible and requests financial contributions, as well as specific essential supplies that are out of stock as listed on their website.
Economic Relief
Listed in order of appearance in Urgent Needs & Nonprofits to Give to
GiveDirectly, a nonprofit that distributes cash directly to impoverished households, is developing a COVID-19 cash response program where donors can give cash directly to Americans affected by the economic downturn.
Benefits Data Trust (BDT) operates in six states and uses private-sector strategies to reduce poverty by using data, targeted outreach, policy change, and new technologies to proactively connect people to benefits and services. In response to the COVID-19 emergency, BDT has seen an increase in calls from individuals — including a 79% increase in calls in the last week of March, many from first time applicants. They are also helping state and local government partners understand and adapt to new federal laws.
SC Thrive provides a contact center that residents can call to apply for benefits over the phone. These benefits range from Medicaid and SNAP applications, to tax filings and voter registration.
Reliable, Local Information (U.S.-specific)
Listed in order of appearance on Urgent Needs & Nonprofits to Give to
The Institute for Nonprofit News is a network of more than 200 nonprofit newsrooms in diverse communities across the U.S. They are working with the Facebook Journalism Project (FJP) to administer the FJP COVID-19 Local News Relief Fund Grant Program to help support local news sources like El Paso Matters in Texas and The Post and Courier in South Carolina.
The American Journalism Project is a new venture philanthropy organization that supports civic news organizations to meet the critical information needs of local communities.
Solutions Journalism Network is a nonprofit organization that advocates and aggregates evidence-based reporting on the responses to social problems, including COVID-19.
Enlace Latino NC is an independent nonprofit news organization that covers politics, government, immigration, and community affairs in North Carolina. All of their media is broadcast in Spanish and includes a website, podcast, radio show, and newsletters aimed at different Latino immigrant communities.
Resolve Philly, a nonprofit collaborative of 24 Philadelphia-area news organizations, is coordinating localized, urgent, and up-to-date reporting and public-health information from its members, to be published in English, Spanish, and other languages.
The Daily Yonder is published by the nonprofit, nonpartisan Center for Rural Strategies, headquartered in Kentucky. It provides news, commentary, and analysis about and for rural America.
100 Days in Appalachia is an open-source, co-published platform that shares content with regional, national and international media organizations in order to share missing voices and unique perspectives from Appalachia. It is published at the West Virginia University Reed College of Media Innovation Center.
Resources for conducting additional research
Listed in alphabetical order
Bridgespan provides resources specific to philanthropists and impact investors navigating COVID-19.
Candid tracks data on 2.7 million nonprofits and is monitoring philanthropic response to the COVID-19 crisis, from what grants are being made to what needs are unfunded.
Center for Disaster Philanthropy has up-to-date information about the impact of COVID-19, critical needs, and how to help.
Charity Navigator rates nonprofits on financial health, accountability, and transparency.
Council on Foundations invites funders and philanthropic leaders to sign its pledge of action to support nonprofit partners and communities most impacted by COVID-19.
Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy lists resources on philanthropic opportunities, calls to action, and funding for racial equity.
Giving Compass curates content from many expert sources, including the Center for High Impact Philanthropy, with the goal of sharing knowledge in order to create social change.
Grantmakers in Health helps grantmakers improve the nation’s health by strengthening grantmakers’ knowledge, skills, effectiveness, and collaboration.
Grantspace.org lists other organizations that provide emergency grants for specific professions, regions, unions, and other affinities.
Great Nonprofits is a platform for community-sourced stories about nonprofits, written by donors, volunteers, and beneficiaries.
ImpactMatters provides “audits” of nonprofits that have proven evidence of impact.
IssueLab (a service of Candid) organizes research from social sector organizations on 30+ cause areas.
National Center for Family Philanthropy features resources for giving families, an interactive map of COVID-19 funds, and an issue brief on leadership to help donors act in the near-term and guide family philanthropy’s long-term response.
National Philanthropic Trust provides guidance for how donors can reconfigure their grantmaking to respond to COVID-19.
NEID (New England International Donors) Coronavirus Resource Page is a curated selection of articles, tips, and other resources for U.S.-based donors on giving internationally.
Philanthropy Roundtable provides an excellent compendium on how philanthropy is responding to COVID-19.
Root Cause Social Impact Research (SIR) reports on cause areas and topics for creating social change.
Stanford Social Innovation Review discusses the current and potential impact of COVID-19 on nonprofits and how philanthropy can help.
The Center for Strategic Philanthropy curates a resource offering opportunities for social investors to donate their time, talent, and financial resources to address the global pandemic.
The Chronicle of Philanthropy reports on how nonprofits are adapting and innovating in response to COVID-19 and how foundations are changing to meet unprecedented need.
The Jameel Poverty Action Lab is a database of over 850 publicly available randomized evaluations of programs found to be effective.
The Philanthropic Initiative compiles COVID-19 resources by region, issue area, population, and funder perspective.