Nonprofits employ nearly 500K Michiganders. They need SBA Payroll Protection Program funds

By Wendy Lewis Jackson and Aaron Seybert, The Kresge Foundation

TFN members Wendy Jackson and Aaron Seybert from The Kresge Foundation recently share their reflections on how the SBA Payroll Protection Program funds are vital to supporting Detroit's nonprofit sector with the Detroit Free Press. Wendy, a former TFN board member, is currently the co-chair of TFN's Inclusive Economies working group.

"From feeding the hungry, to supporting COVID-19 testing and contact tracing, nonprofits are integral to confronting the pandemic in Detroit, across Michigan and across the country. 

But the nonprofit sector is itself badly battered economically and deeply in need of substantial, targeted support. Nonprofits are anxiously awaiting a new round of the federal Payroll Protection Program, which is up for debate in Congress this week. If it passes, it would need to be followed by ardent support and prioritization of nonprofits from local lenders and state officials.

According to the Michigan Nonprofit Association, nonprofits employed nearly 470,000 people in the third quarter of 2018. This number represents just over one in 10 of Michigan’s total nonfarm jobs, and is larger than Michigan’s leisure and hospitality industry. 

In Detroit, this sector is particularly vital. Nonprofits are the institutional first responders working shoulder to shoulder with government to flatten the curve and meet emergency needs. Nonprofits make up the civic and societal muscle that’s worked to revitalize our community, and will be essential in rebuilding after the financial storm has passed."

Read the rest of this op-ed here.

About the Authors

Wendy Lewis Jackson is managing director for the Detroit Program. She leads The Kresge Foundation’s efforts to revitalize Detroit and to strengthen its social and economic fabric. Her work supports organizations providing economic opportunity for low-income people and addresses the needs of vulnerable children and families.

Aaron Seybert is managing director of the Social Investment Practice at The Kresge Foundation. He previously served as a social investment officer supporting the American Cities and Detroit Programs at Kresge. He joined the foundation in 2016.  Prior to Kresge, he served as executive director at JPMorgan Chase Bank, where he was involved with community development banking focused on New Markets Tax Credits and Historic Tax Credit investing.

by TFN Staff

A Note From Home

By Darren Walker, President, Ford Foundation  

TFN member Darren Walker is president of the Ford Foundation, an international social justice philanthropy with a $13 billion endowment and $600 million in annual grant making. He chaired the philanthropy committee that brought a resolution to the city of Detroit’s historic bankruptcy and is co-founder and chair of the US Impact Investing Alliance.

Today on the Ford Foundation's blog Equals Change, Darren shared his reflections on the Covid-19 virus, the role he thinks funders can play in recovery and our need as a people for caution, courage and calm during these trying times. 

"Dear colleagues and friends:

During these strangest of days, one cannot help but feel disoriented.

Our circumstances—and the way we make sense of them—are evolving so rapidly that, even as I draft these lines, I cannot know which will hold true tomorrow or the day after, much less during the weeks and months ahead.

The strangeness takes many different forms. As I work from home—practicing the “social distancing” that the experts counsel—the speed of news, closures, and conference calls is juxtaposed with an unsettling quiet. No one is bustling around my home office the way they would the Ford Foundation corridors.

How can things be moving so fast, and also so slowly?

And yet, I recognize that my lockdown in a Manhattan apartment, while hard for me to process, is certainly no hardship. Those of us who benefit from such privilege would be well served to remember this during the days and months ahead. Far too many are facing real hardships: frontline healthcare professionals, as well as retail, hotel and restaurant workers, and others for whom survival depends on hourly and tipped wages.

And yet, I recognize that my lockdown in a Manhattan apartment, while hard for me to process, is certainly no hardship. Those of us who benefit from such privilege would be well served to remember this during the days and months ahead. Far too many are facing real hardships: frontline healthcare professionals, as well as retail, hotel and restaurant workers, and others for whom survival depends on hourly and tipped wages.

No matter where we find ourselves, though, we share the anxiety that comes with staring straight into the unknown—even if we’ve already been living with some elements of this altered reality. In many ways, the COVID-19 crisis is an extreme extension of trends and feelings of uncertainty that have defined the last few years: The unprecedented has become the ordinary, in nearly every facet of life.

Despite all of this, or perhaps because of it, I have been reflecting on the timeless words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.:

We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.

As the pandemic and its consequences threaten lives and livelihoods, we see—yet again—just how inextricably our fates and fortunes are intertwined. We see how each of us is directly, and indirectly, responsible for those around us."

Read the rest of his blog here.

About the Author

Darren Walker is president of the Ford Foundation, an international social justice philanthropy with a $13 billion endowment and $600 million in annual grant making. He chaired the philanthropy committee that brought a resolution to the city of Detroit’s historic bankruptcy and is co-founder and chair of the US Impact Investing Alliance.

Before joining Ford, Darren was vice president at the Rockefeller Foundation, overseeing global and domestic programs including the Rebuild New Orleans initiative after Hurricane Katrina. In the 1990s, as COO of the Abyssinian Development Corporation—Harlem’s largest community development organization—he oversaw a comprehensive revitalization strategy, including building over 1,000 units of affordable housing and the first major commercial development in Harlem since the 1960s. Earlier, he had a decade-long career in international law and finance at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton and UBS.

Darren co-chairs New York City’s Commission on City Art, Monuments, and Markers, and serves on the Commission on the Future of Rikers Island Correctional Institution and the UN International Labor Organization Commission on the Future of Work. He also serves on the boards of Carnegie Hall, the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture, the National Gallery of Art, Art Bridges, the High Line, VOW to End Child Marriage, the HOW Institute for Society, the Global Steering Group for Impact Investment, and the Committee to Protect Journalists. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and is the recipient of 13 honorary degrees and university awards, including the W. E. B. Du Bois Medal from Harvard University.

Educated exclusively in public schools, Darren was a member of the first class of Head Start in 1965 and graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, which in 2009 recognized him with its Distinguished Alumnus Award—its highest alumni honor. He has been included on numerous annual media lists, including Time’s annual list of the 100 Most Influential People in the World, Rolling Stone’s 25 People Shaping the Future, Fast Company’s 50 Most Innovative People, and Out magazine’s Power 50.

by TFN Staff

We Must Be Committed Now More Than Ever To Raise Our Voices

By Pat Smith, President and CEO, The Funders' Network

Dear TFN members and friends,

As a membership organization committed to centering racial equity and justice in our work, we are alarmed and appalled by recent reports of racist and xenophobic attacks against Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and others of Asian descent living in our communities. As we wrestle with the devastating health, economic and social impacts of the global coronavirus pandemic, we are mindful that social distancing does not equal willful silence.

We must be committed, now more than ever, to raise our voices in solidarity with those targeted by hateful rhetoric and actions.

We are proud to sign on to this open letter authored Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP) and published in the Chronicle of Philanthropy - “Open Letter to Philanthropy: The Cure to Viral Racism Is Within Our Hands.”
TFN encourages you to join us in signing on to this letter as a sign of empathy and solidarity with the AAPI community. We also encourage you to adopt and amplify the calls-to-action outlined in the letter, which exhorts colleagues in philanthropy to:

  Include language in statements that denounce hate related to COVID-19 (and beyond).
  Include efforts that address viral racism as part of rapid response fund guidelines.
  Insert equity into outreach efforts and funding decisions to ensure that smaller organizations, especially those in harder hit communities and inclusive of AAPIs are part of that mix.
  Reach out to AAPI staff members and colleagues to see how they are doing and offer support.
  Speak out when you see racism and prejudice against any individual or community.
  Think of this moment as a “reset” button to imagine a more holistic approach to philanthropy that gains new traction toward racial and gender equity.

You may read the full letter along with the list of organizations that have signed on in support here.

TFN has also compiled an online library, Resources and Responses from the Philanthropic Sector, which we hope will be helpful in navigating the many implications the pandemic will have for the people and places we care about, while keeping the values of equity, inclusion and justice front and center.

If you would like to share news or resources about the pandemic with the TFN audience, please reach out to Marci Ovadia.

Wishing you good health and wellbeing,

Pat Smith
TFN President & CEO

by TFN Staff

Open Letter to Philanthropy: The Cure to Viral Racism Is Within Our Hands

By Patricia Eng, President and CEO, Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (AAPIP)

TFN encourages our members to visit our working resource library on the TFN blog, which we hope will be helpful to funders navigating the impact the coronavirus pandemic will have on the people and places we care about, while keeping the values of equity, inclusion and justice front and center.

This joint statement was included as part of an article "Asian American Grant Makers Call on Philanthropy to End Violence and Bias on the Rise as Coronavirus Spreads"  published in The Chronicle of Philanthropy 4.8.2020.

Dear Colleagues,

While Covid-19 may be novel, the racism accompanying it is far from new. Racial bigotry and “xenophobia” is ravaging Asian American communities in the U.S. alongside the physical impacts of COVID-19.  It is reminiscent of attacks against South Asians, Arab and Muslim Americans after 9/11, brewed from anti-Blackness and the all-too familiar racial profiling of Black, Brown, and Native American people just going about their lives.  We thank those that stand in support of Chinese and Chinese Americans during this period as we stand in solidarity with others who have and continue to experience racism and bigotry.

Scapegoating of Asian Americans is fueled by fear and racism simmering just below the surface.  When it comes from our country’s top leaders, whether direct or implied, it signals an official stamp of acceptance and puts Asian Americans in harm’s way, including children.   There are more than 21 million Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) in the U.S., comprising the fastest growing racial group, and they too are impacted, especially health care workers and others providing essential services who are risking their lives to save others.  And philanthropy is not immune. Our staff and colleagues are also impacted by a variety of aggressions, externally or even within our own work environment when minimized or ignored.

Through every crisis, philanthropy responds.  Some foundations have acknowledged the need to address racism in their COVID-19 response.   Asian American community foundations, giving circles, and other mutual aid solutions are stepping up to support the community, both to address COVID-19 as well as the unique harms to Asian Americans.  Asian and Asian American philanthropists are also stepping up to be part of the larger COVID-19 solution, including but not limited to, donating personal protection equipment for American health care workers.

All of this is a great start, but much more can be done. The cure to viral racism is within our hands. We call on our colleagues to:

·        Include language in statements that denounce hate related to COVID-19 (and beyond).

·        Include efforts that address viral racism as part of rapid response fund guidelines.

·        Insert equity into outreach efforts and funding decisions to ensure that smaller organizations, especially those in harder hit communities and inclusive of AAPIs are part of that mix.

·        Reach out to AAPI staff members and colleagues to see how they are doing and offer support.

·        Speak out when you see racism and prejudice against any individual or community.

·        Think of this moment as a “reset” button to imagine a more holistic approach to philanthropy that gains new traction toward racial and gender equity.

Let’s think expansively about this country’s future and support a path to finding our full humanity based on trusted relationships.  In this pandemic, it is abundantly clear that we are one people with a shared destiny.  Let’s close this country’s chapter on the tired and harmful stereotypes along with this novel virus.  Our collective health is strengthened by our shared humanity and our best allies are common sense and good will.  Through every such crisis and every day in between, solidarity matters.

SIGNATORIES

This letter is signed by the following foundations and philanthropic organizations alongside individuals listed below.  Please note that individuals have added their names, with titles and affiliations for identification purposes only and this does NOT constitute institutional endorsement (that is recorded in the institutional section).

While these types of letters are typically signed by the heads of foundations and philanthropic entitities, we felt it was important for AAPI voices at all leadership levels in philanthropy to be included, alongside our powerful allies.  Some foundation executives and trustees selected to also include their names as individuals alongside their institutional endorsements for additional emphasis and expression of personal solidarity.  This includes more than 50 AAPI top level executives and trustees of foundations and philanthropic serving organizations. Many individuals listed have multiple connections and touchpoints in philanthropy, but chose a specific identification for the purpose of this letter. 

The people behind these signatures hail from points all across the country, from coast to coast and points in between.  They are not simply perfunctory sign-ons. They represent a heartfelt urgency to continue the hard work of moving beyond racial bias during crises like this, to come out more fully whole as a country.

The people behind these signatures hail from points all across the country, from coast to coast and points in between.  They are not simply perfunctory sign-ons. They represent a heartfelt urgency to continue the hard work of moving beyond racial bias during crises like this, to come out more fully whole as a country.

FOUNDATIONS & PHILANTHROPY SERVING ORGANIZATIONS (list in formation - request to sign on here.)

 AAPI Civic Engagement Fund (national)

ABFE: A Philanthropic Partnership for Black Communities (national)

Akonadi Foundation (national)

Alexandria Area Community Foundation (MN)

Amalgamated Charitable Foundation (national)

APIs Rise Giving Circle (CA)

Arizona Grantmakers Forum (AZ)

Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy (national)

Asian Giving Circle (IL)

Asian Mosaic Fund Giving Circle of Greater Philadelphia (PA)

Asian Pacific Community Fund (CA)

Asian Women Giving Circle (NY)

Barr Foundation (MA)

Bayanihan Foundation Community Power Giving Circle (CA)

Beyond Two Cents: LGBTQ AAPI Giving Circle (national)

Biodiversity Funders Group (national)

Blue Sky Funders Forum (national)

Blue Shield of California Foundation (CA)

BMPP Giving Circle (MN)

Borealis Philanthropy (national)

Brainerd Lakes Area Community Foundation (MN)

Brooklyn Community Foundation (NY)

California Wellness Foundation (CA)

Center for Effective Philanthropy (national)

Central Minnesota Community Foundation (MN)

CHANGE Philanthropy (national)

Cherry Blossom Giving Circle (DC)

Chicago African Americans in Philanthropy (IL)

Chinook Fund (CO)

Colorado Health Foundation (CO)

Common Counsel Foundation (national)

Community Foundation for Northern Virginia (VA)

Community Giving (MN)

Connecticut Council for Philanthropy (CT)

Council of NJ Grantmakers (NJ)

David Bohnett Foundation (national)

Devata Giving Circle (CA)

Dinner Guys Giving Circle (NY)

Donors of Color Network (national)

East Bay Community Foundation (CA)

Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy (national)

Environmental Grantmakers Association (national)

Evelyn & Walter Haas Jr Fund (CA/national)

Fairfield County's Community Foundation (CT)

Florida Philanthropic Network (FL)

Ford Foundation (national/global)

Forefront (IL)

Foundation for Child Development (national)

Four Freedoms Fund (national)

Friends Doing Good Giving Circle (CA)

Funders Concerned About AIDS (national)

Funders for LGBTQ Issues (national)

Funders for Reproductive Equity (national)

Funders Network for Smart Growth & Livable Communities (national)

Funders Together to End Homelessness (national)

Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrant & Refugees (national)

Grantmakers for Education (national)

 Grantmakers in Aging (national)

Grantmakers in the Arts (national)

GRANTMAKERS of Oregon and Southwest Washington (WA)

Greater Tacoma Community Foundation (WA)

Group Health Foundation (WA)

Health & Environmental Funders Network (national)

Hella Heart Giving Circle (CA)

Hispanics in Philanthropy (national)

Hyams Foundation (MA)

Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation (national)

JustFund (national)

Kenneth Rainin Foundation (CA)

Kibei Giving Circle (WA)

Korean American Community Foundation (NY)

Korean American Community Foundation of San Francisco (CA)

Lacuna Giving Circle (CA)

Liberty Hill Foundation (national)

Lincoln Community Foundation (NE)

Los Angeles Asian American & Pacific Islander Giving Circle  (CA)

Lumina Foundation (IN/national)

Maine Philanthropy Center (ME)

Marguerite Casey Foundation (national)

McKnight Foundation (national)

Meyer Memorial Trust (OR)

Minnesota Council on Foundations (MN)

Ms. Foundation for Women (national)

National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (national)

Native Americans in Philanthropy (national)

Neighborhood Funders Group (national)

Nellie Mae Education Foundation (NE Region)

NEO Philanthropy (national)

New Breath Foundation (national)

New Hampshire Charitable Foundation  (NH)

New Mexico Association of Grantmakers (NM)

North Star Fund (NY)

Northern California Grantmakers (CA)

Northside Funders Group (MN)

Northwest Area Foundation (NW region)

Open Society Foundations (national/global)

Orange County Grantmakers (CA)

Orchid Giving Circle at Texas Women’s Foundation (TX)

Philanthropic Initiative for Racial Equity (national)

Philanthropy California (CA)

Philanthropy Colorado (CO)

Philanthropy Massachusetts (MA)

Philanthropy New York(NY)

Philanthropy Ohio (OH)

Philanthropy West Virginia (WV)

Proteus Fund (national)

Race Forward (national)

Resource Generation (national)

San Diego Grantmakers (CA)

San Francisco Foundation (CA)

Satterberg Foundation (WA & CA)

Seattle Foundation (WA)

Sheng-Yen Lu Foundation (WA)

Silicon Valley Community Foundation (CA)

Silicon Valley Giving Circle (CA)

Skoll Foundation (national/global)

Solidaire Network (national)

Southeastern Council of Foundations (southern region)

Southern California Grantmakers (CA)

Southwest Initiative Foundation (MN)

Stupski Foundation (CA)

Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems Funders (national)

Tarsadia Foundation (national/global)

The Boston Foundation (MA)

The California Endowment (CA)

The Communications Network (national)

The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven (CT)

The Lenny Zakim Fund (MA)

The Libra Foundation (national)

The New York Women's Foundation (NY)

Tides (national)

Tides Advocacy (national)

Tufts Health Plan Foundation (MA)

Unbound Philanthropy (national/global)

United Philanthropy Forum (national)

W.K. Kellogg Foundation (national)

William T. Grant Foundation (national)

Willmar Area Community Foundation (MN)

Wisconsin Philanthropy Network (WI)

Women's Foundation of California (CA)

INDIVIDUALS  (request to sign on here.)

For the list of individuals who have signed on to this open letter, click here.

by TFN Staff

The Rescue We Seek

By Grant Oliphant, President, The Heinz Endowments

TFN member Grant Oliphant has been President of The Heinz Endowments since 2014 and has been a positive force in philanthropy and public service for nearly three decades. A leading proponent of the idea that philanthropy must be vocal in the defense of its values, he has written and lectured extensively on issues of equity, race and social justice, and championed principles that address critical community and societal issues in Pittsburgh and beyond.

Today, Grant shared on The Heinz Endowment's blog his own reflections on what he hopes are some of the lessons we as a society learn and take to heart and put into action post Covid-19 as we rebuild from a place learning, community, and hope.

"Most of us have heard the old joke about a righteous man caught in a flood. As he prays for rescue from the rising water, first there appears a helper offering to carry him on his shoulders to safety, then a Good Samaritan in a rowboat, then a helicopter dangling a ladder. In each case, he rejects the offer, saying, “God will provide.” He perishes and, standing indignantly before the Almighty, exclaims, “But I thought you would provide!” To which God responds, “I gave you strong shoulders, a boat and a helicopter—what else did you want?!” 

Humans can be astonishingly reluctant, at both a personal and societal level, to accept what a moment in time is offering us. We blur those insights with our politics and preconceptions, our biases and opinions. Numerous studies have shown how readily we dismiss even the most compelling of evidence if it runs counter to our vigorously held beliefs. We are prone to living in a world we invent in our own heads, apparently never more so than in this age of massive information overload.

Already we can see that happening with this pandemic. It manifested in our country’s catastrophic lack of preparation as the situation in Wuhan unfolded and early dismissal of the virus as an alien phenomenon and partisan fantasy. It appears in efforts to demonize Chinese people and racialize the disease, to wish away the science of social distancing, to mock scientists and medical professionals for their warnings, to blame hospitals for equipment shortages, to dismiss the loss of life as exaggerated, to pretend we are all affected equally regardless of race and poverty, and to brandish some pathetic notion of economic machismo as the essential alternative to flattening the curve."

Read the rest of his blog here.

About the Author

Grant Oliphant has been President of The Heinz Endowments since 2014 and has been a positive force in philanthropy and public service for nearly three decades. A leading proponent of the idea that philanthropy must be vocal in the defense of its values, he has written and lectured extensively on issues of equity, race and social justice, and championed principles that address critical community and societal issues in Pittsburgh and beyond.

Following a six-year term as President of The Pittsburgh Foundation, Grant joined the Endowments where he reshaped the foundation’s grantmaking around three key strategic areas based on the core ethos of a ‘just community,’ supporting commitments and initiatives that enhance the quality of life for all.

by TFN Staff

Everything I Learned About Being a Good Neighbor During a Crisis I Learned from My Neighbor When I Was in Crisis

By Erin Barnes, CEO and Co-Founder, Ioby  

As ioby's CEO and Co-Founder, TFN member Erin Barnes has led ioby's strategic planning, governance, and fundraising for the last 11 years. In addition to her role at ioby, Erin is board chair of Resource Media and an Obama Foundation Fellow.

Recently, Erin shared a personal essay on her own experience dealing with a crisis on Medium. We know so many of our members are dealing with the many fronts of the Covid-19 virus and Erin's message really spoke to us about the big impact small things can have on someone experiencing a crisis or traumatic event.

"Many Americans are already socially isolated, and the physical distancing that we need to do as a society to prevent the spread of coronavirus will exacerbate loneliness, anxiety and despair. In the last 48 hours, I have read a bunch of important pieces about the importance of mutual aid, social solidarity, and social connectedness.

And as I was brainstorming what we as community members, as nonprofit leaders, and as a society ought to do to take care of each other during this crisis, what came to mind for me immediately is what I needed during a personal crisis.

First, a little context. From about 2010 to 2016, as ioby grew and my job became more national, I spent more of my life in everyone else’s neighborhood instead of my own. I became what I thought was more self-reliant, but what was actually socially disconnected. I came to rely on apps for everything that used to just be called favors. A ride home from the airport? I no longer called friends; I used Lyft. Pick up something last minute at the store for me? Nah, I’ll just use Amazon Prime. Walk my dog? A dog-walking service. Help me put together some IKEA furniture? Taskrabbit. Instead of asking for someone to water my plants while I’m out of town, I even built a self-watering irrigation system for my fire escape kale. I convinced myself that I had optimized my life because I didn’t depend on anyone else.

In 2016, just three months after I moved into a new apartment building, my dad was hospitalized after having a seizure and quickly diagnosed with a fast-growing brain cancer. He had surgery to remove the cancer two days before the 2016 election. He died three weeks after Inauguration Day in 2017."

Read the rest of her essay here.

About the Author

Erin Barnes is CEO and Co-Founder of ioby. She is also the board chair of Resource Media and an Obama Foundation Fellow.

Prior to ioby, Erin was an environmental writer with a background in water management. From 2007-2008, she was the environmental editor at Men’s Journal magazine, and was a freelance writer on climate change and other environmental issues. From 2003-2005, she worked as a community organizer and public information officer at the Save Our Wild Salmon Coalition in Portland, Oregon.

While completing her Master of Environmental Management in water science, economics, and policy at the Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, she was a U.S. Department of Education Foreign Language and Area Studies scholar in Portuguese. She did field research on socio-economic values of water in Goyena, Nicaragua, and the Bolivian and Brazilian Amazon. Her report “Market Values of the Commercial Fishery on the Madeira River: Calculating the Costs of the Santo Antônio and Jirau Dams to Fishermen in Rondônia, Brasil and Pando-Beni, Bolivia” was published in the Tropical Resources Institute Journal in 2007.

Erin also holds a B.A. in English and American Studies from the University of Virginia. Erin lives in Brooklyn and serves as Board chair of Resource Media. The Rockefeller Foundation awarded Erin and her co-founders Brandon Whitney and Cassie Flynn at ioby the 2012 Jane Jacobs Medal for New Technology and Innovation. In April 2018, Erin was selected to join the inaugural class of Obama Fellows, recognized by President and Mrs. Obama for ioby's work in leading the next wave of civic innovation in America.

by TFN Staff

Partners for Places Mini Grants Now Available!

By Marci Ovadia, Senior Associate for Equity Programs and Communications  

Partners for Places Mini Grants Now Available

Due May 6, 2020

Click Here for Application!

 

The Funders’ Network (TFN), in partnership with the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, is pleased to announce that Partners for Places is now offering Mini Grants to help local governments, local foundations, and frontline community-led group(s) build relationships, align around project ideas, and ideally develop a proposal that centers on racial equity in water, sustainability, and/or climate action work.

Mini grants will be in the range of $7,000 to $10,000 and are designed to strengthen the relationship between the three partners in order to aid in the development of a full and jointly developed P4P proposal. Applicants can request funding to hire expertise and/or to bring together local government water and/or sustainability department leaders, local funders, and frontline community-led group(s). Frontline community members may be compensated for their participation.

Mini Grant applications are due on April 15, 2020 (by 11:59 p.m., any time zone).

Background
Partners for Places is a successful matching grant program that improves U.S. and Canadian communities by building partnerships between local government sustainability leaders and place-based foundations. National funders invest in local projects developed through these partnerships to promote a healthy environment, a strong economy and well-being for all residents. Through these investments, Partners for Places fosters long-term relationships that make our communities more prosperous, livable and vibrant. Please visit the Partners for Places webpage for more information. Here you can view our promotional video, download the latest Request for Proposals (RFP), and access our Proposal Form and Budget Form. You may also consult our Proposal and Award Guidance document to learn more about frequently asked questions.
Funder Investors
Partners for Places general grant program is supported by The JPB Foundation, Kendeda Fund, The Kresge Foundation, New York Community Trust, the Pisces Foundation, The Summit Foundation, and Surdna Foundation.

by TFN Staff

Resources and Responses from the Philanthropic Sector on Covid-19

By Marci Ovadia, Senior Associate for Equity Programs and Communications  

As funders with deep connections to the people and places you support and serve, we recognize that you and your organizations are likely formulating strategies to best support those directly or indirectly impacted by the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19.

We've created a working resource library for funders that we hope will be helpful in navigating the many implications the pandemic will have on the people and places we care about, while keeping the values of equity, inclusion and justice front and center.

While the full health, economic and social impacts of the pandemic are still unkown, it almost certainly have a disproportionate impact on vulnerable communities, including those who rely on hourly wages, gig-economy jobs and others who do not have the privilege of paid sick leave and other employer benefits.

As many of you know, we cancelled our TFN 2020 Annual Conference in San Diego, which was to take place March 16-18 in San Diego. You can read the full statement from TFN President and CEO Pat Smith here, which includes an appeal to funders to be mindful of the important role philanthropy plays in ensuring responses to the coronavirus pandemic align with our values as a sector.

Resources for Funders
Please read, and feel free to share, these resources. We will continue to compile and distribute information via the TFN blog and other platforms.

We wish everyone health and well-being today and in the days ahead.

If you have additional resources to share, please reach out to our Senior Associate for Equity and Communications Marci Ovadia at marci@fundesnetwork.org

Most Recent Updates: 

Updated 7.13.2020

Updated 4.28.2020

Updates 4.27.2020

Updates 4.24.2020

Updates 4.23.2020

Updates 4.22.2020

Updates 4.21.2020

Updates 4.17.2020

Updates 4.16.2020

Updates 4.15.2020

Updates 4.14.2020

Updates 4.13.2020

Updates 4.10.2020

Updates 4.9.2020

Updates 4.8.2020

Updates 4.7.2020

Updates 4.6.2020

Updates 4.3.2020

Updates 4.2.2020

Updates 4.1.2020

Updates 3.31.2020

Updates 3.30.2020

Updates 3.18.2020

Updates 3.17.2020

Updates 3.16.2020

Updates 3.13.2020

Updates 3.12.2020

Asian Americans/Pacific Islanders in Philanthropy

AAPIP Statement on COVID-19 can be found here.

The California Endowment

Center for Disaster Philanthropy Resources and Information

  • Center for Disaster Philanthropy has an overview of the entire COVID-19 situation here which they are updating daily with key events here.
  • CDP has a critical needs list for how organizations wanting to respond can proceed. “As this disease continues to spread across the world and emerge in new countries, the number of responding organizations continues to grow as well. "

CDP also has this call to action on how to help: “Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) has a COVID-19 Response Fund that provides an opportunity for donors to meet the ongoing and ever-expanding challenges presented by this virus.

CDP has also created a list of suggestions for foundations to consider related to disaster giving here with guidance on basic tips for disaster giving.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Council on Foundations

Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

Immune Deficiency Foundation

  • CEO statement on COVID-19 here.

Northern California Granmakers

Webinar: How Philanthropy Can Support and Enhance the Government Response to COVID-19 (March 12 at 9 a.m. PT)

Minnesota Council on Foundations

Webinar recording: Needs for a COOP and a COVID-19 plan specifically.

Seattle Foundation

US Chamber of Commerce Foundation:

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Richard E. Besser, a physician and president and chief executive of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation,  penned this Op-Ed on how as coronavirus spreads, the bill for our public health failures is due can be found here.

Washington NonProfits

World Health Organization

News Stories:

by TFN Staff

#TFNSanDiego and COVID-19 FAQs

By Pat Smith, President and CEO of The Funders' Network

As we continue to prepare for our Annual Conference this month in San Diego, we know that many of you are asking about the potential impacts of the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19. Please know we are still looking forward to seeing our members, partners and other friends in a few days. Here are some frequently asked questions about #TFNSanDiego and coronavirus that we hope will be helpful . We recognize that the situation continues to develop, and we will continue to provide updates as needed.

Note: This post was updated March 6 with information about the U.S.-Mexico Post-Conference Tour cancellation. See below for more info.

#TFNSanDiego FAQs

  • Is the conference cancelled? As of today, we are moving forward with our 2020 Annual Conference in San Diego. If anything changes, you will hear directly from us. Please follow us on Twitter at @funders_network for the latest news; we will also share with our members and partners directly via email. We will also post updates on the TFN blog.
  • What precautionary steps are you taking? As we finalize preparations for our Annual Conference, we are keeping the health and wellbeing of our TFN members, staff and other conference attendees a top priority. The TFN team is closely monitoring updates from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as local health agencies, and encourage our attendees to take sensible precautions help protect from illness, especially while traveling. Our conference team is working closely with our vendors in San Diego to ensure appropriate precautions are in place at our hotel and other venues scheduled to host #TFNSanDiego events.
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  • What if I cannot attend? We recognize the situation continues to evolve, and many of our attendees and their organizations are still formulating their own responses, such as whether to limit non-essential travel. We ask that if your plans change and you are unable to attend, to please let us know as soon as possible by emailing Yleinia Jobe (yleinia@fundersnetwork.org), especially if you are slated to participate as a speaker or moderator.
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  • Will cancellations impact my session or other conference programming? Our conference team is working diligently to ensure sessions, workshops and other conference offerings move forward as seamlessly as possible. That includes contingency plans for sessions that may be impacted by cancellations. If you are a presenter, moderator or session designer and have a question about possible impacts to your session, please reach out to Lesmarie Nicholson (lesmarie@www.fundersnetwork.org) who can provide an update and any planned contingency plans. UPDATE: We have cancelled our Post-Conference Tour across the U.S.-Mexico border. While TFN's 2020 Annual Conference is not cancelled, we are mindful of the particular logistical challenges and other uncertainties posed while coordinating an international tour at this time. Read our message about the border tour cancellation here.
  • Are you offering refunds? For those unable to attend, we are able to offer refunds upon request. However, we hope that you will  consider the amount a donation to TFN if you are unable to attend. TFN has already incurred considerable costs in planning the event and securing our venue, and also relies on conference fees to support our overall mission.
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  • I saw that California recently declared a state of emergency. What does that mean?  An emergency proclamation builds on work already underway across state government to protect public health and safety and includes increased protections against price gouging, offers more assistance to local governments and allows health care workers to come from out of state. Read the full statement from the governor's office here.
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  • What if I have additional concerns not addressed here? Please feel free to reach out to me at pat@www.fundersnetwork.org or a member of the TFN team if you have any additional questions. In case you missed it, I’m also sharing my most recent message regarding coronavirus and our conference, which also includes links and resources that may be helpful to funders and others in the sector. I

Pat Smith, President and CEO of The Funders' Network

by TFN Staff

Coranavirus Update | Resources for Funders

By Martha Cecilia Ovadia, Senior Program Associate, Equity and Communications  
We are looking forward to seeing our members, partners and other friends of TFN at our Annual Conference in San Diego this month. As we prepare for our Annual Conference, the health and wellbeing of our TFN members, staff and other conference attendees is our top priority. We are closely monitoring the potential impact of the novel coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, and following the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as local health agencies in California. In addition, our conference planning team is working to ensure appropriate precautions are in place at our conference venue. In the meantime, we hope you'll take the time to review these public health recommendations and take sensible precautions, especially while traveling. Read below for CDC guidelines on prevention, as well as resources for funders seeking information on the role philanthropy can play during pandemics, including an upcoming webinar organized by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

Coronavirus: Prevention Tips
There is currently no vaccine to prevent coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). According to the CDC, the best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. The CDC recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Follow CDC’s recommendations for using a facemask.
(CDC does not recommend that people who are well wear a facemask to protect themselves from respiratory diseases, including COVID-19. Facemasks should be used by people who show symptoms of COVID-19 to help prevent the spread of the disease to others.)
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
If soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty.

What Can Funders Do?
We recognize that potential impacts of the coronovirus on the health and safety of our communities far outweighs any implications for our annual conference. As funders with close ties to the people and places you support and serve, we encourage you to be mindful of the important role philanthropy plays in ensuring responses to the coronavirus epidemic align with our values, especially in light of racist and xenophobic attacks against Asians and Asian-Americans. While the full economic impact of the virus is far from being known, we recognize that workers who rely on hourly wages, freelance work or gig-economy jobs do not have the safety-net resources of paid sick days and other employer benefits — meaning they will likely suffer a heavier economic burden should they or someone they care for fall ill.

Upcoming Events
We encourage you to register for an upcoming webinar, organized by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) and co-sponsored by TFN, to learn more about how you and your organization can help. Speakers will discuss the role philanthropy can play during pandemics including advocacy, sharing accurate messaging, and funding preparedness, response and mitigation.

COVID-19 Coronavirus: How Philanthropy Can Respond
Thursday, March 5, 2020 at 2 p.m. ET
Register here.
We will also delve into the topic of coronavirus and its impacts during one of our Pre-Conference Institutes on Monday, March 17. The session, moderated by CDP Vice President Regine Webster, will also share innovative examples of philanthropic action and the importance of understanding and addressing vulnerabilities and building lasting community power.

Disaster Resiliency: Philanthropic Roles, Opportunities and Stories
Monday, March 17, 9 - 11:30 a.m.

Read our full conference agenda here.

Cancellations & Refunds
We understand that some of you may be unable to join us in San Diego. If you will not be attending, please let us know as soon as possible by emailing Yleinia Jobe at yleinia@www.fundersnetwork.org.

TFN will refund registration fees upon request, but we hope you will consider the amount a donation to TFN if you are unable to attend. TFN has already incurred considerable costs in planning the event and securing our venue, and also relies on conference fees to support our overall mission.

For those traveling from out of town, please check directly with the US Grant Hotel and your airline regarding cancellation policies.

Stay Tuned Please be sure to check out our conference webpage for more information. (And be sure to follow us on Twitter @funders_network for more #TFNSanDiego news.)

by TFN Staff