COVID-19 Resources for Funders

The resources listed below and additional resources can now be found on GIH’s COVID-19 Issue Area page.

Health foundations are responding to COVID-19 coronavirus on multiple fronts. They are supporting preparedness and response efforts at the local, state, and national levels and closely monitoring how the epidemic is impacting grantees, partners, and community members. At the same time, they are implementing policies and practices to keep their own staff members healthy.

GIH is compiling and sharing information for health funders. Below are resources that may be useful as you consider how and when to respond. We also encourage funders to follow @GIHealth on Twitter for the latest news on COVID-19.

General Resources

• CDC’s COVID-19 website provides data, guidance, and resources on the evolving situation.
• Kaiser Health News’ COVID-19 webpage offers the latest news on the Coronavirus outbreak.
• Association of State and Territorial Health Officials’ (ASTHO) Coronavirus webpage provides information on state emergency declarations, COVID-19 case count data from the CDC, and links to ASTHO statements, blog posts, and other articles.  
• National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Coronavirus website tracks state legislative responses to COVID-19 as well as links to additional NCSL webpages with information on state fiscal, public education, and elections responses.
• The Center for Systems Science and Engineering at Johns Hopkins University maintains an interactive dashboard tracking the spread of COVID-19 in real time.

Resources for Philanthropy

• Webinars:
  • The Commonwealth Fund hosted a webinar on March 17 focused on federal and state actions to increase access to COVID-19 treatment and prevention. A recording of the webinar is available on the Commonwealth Fund website.
  • Philanthropy New York hosted a webinar on March 12 to allow grantmakers in the region to share funding decisions related to COVID-19 as well as to exchange questions and up-to-the-minute information. A recording of the webinar is available on their website.
  • Southern California Grantmakers (SCG) hosted a March 12 webinar to share best practices for grantmakers in pandemic preparedness and response while emphasizing community resiliency and support for our most vulnerable community members. A recording is available on their website. 
  • The Council on Foundations (COF) hosted a webinar on March 12 focused on community approaches to COVID-19 response. A recording of the webinar will be made available on the COF in the coming days.
  • GIH cosponsored a Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) webinar on March 5 exploring how philanthropy can respond and what the most likely needs will be at each stage of the pandemic. A recording of the webinar is available on the GIH website

• Articles, blog posts, and other resources:
  • “Lead By Shutting It Down: Notes on COVID-19,” a blog post from Robert Ross, President and CEO of The California Endowment.
  • “From Containment to Mitigation of COVID-19 in the US,” published in JAMA’s COVID-19 Resource Center.
  • “As Coronavirus Spreads, The Bill for Our Public Health Failures is Due,” a Washington Post op-ed by Richard Besser, President and CEO of Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. 
  • “6 Steps for Grant Makers to Take Now to Ensure Nonprofits Recover From Coronavirus Spread,” by Antony Bugg-Levine, CEO of Nonprofit Finance Fund, and published in the Chronicle of Philanthropy.
  • “What Nonprofit Board Members Should Be Doing Right Now to Address the COVID-19 Situation,” a blog post by Joy Folkedal and Lindsay Tallman at BoardSource.
  • “COVID-19: Seven Things Philanthropy Can Do,” a blog post by Lauren Smith, Co-CEO of FSG.
  • The Communications Network is compiling resources from nonprofit organizations, including philanthropy, on responding to the COVID-19 crisis.