In response to the pandemic, communities and organizations are building networks of mutual support to help those most impacted by Covid-19. Banding together to share resources—from crowdsourcing information to launching mutual aid groups—is an effective way to uplift and sustain one another. Today’s installment of our Top 5 blog series shares our Top 5 crowd-sourced guides helping organizations exchange resources, both locally and nationally.
- The Chronicle of Philanthropy curates a list of resources for nonprofits, including an extensive crowd-sourced document. Nonprofits are facing unprecedented demands on their resources, services, and operations. The Chronicle of Philanthropy has collected a mix of information to help organizations navigate these challenges, including the #NPCOVID19 crowd-sourced document. This document provides an extensive collection of tips and information for service providers, which anyone can request access and add to. Click here to see their full list of resources.
- Generocity provides an overview of mutual aid groups operating in Philadelphia. Mutual aid groups in Philadelphia have sprung up to support specific communities (e.g., artists, LGBTQ groups, the elderly, and hospitality workers) and frequently operate in partnership with local nonprofits. These networks help to crowdfund and disburse financial aid, goods, and services to recipients in need. Those with the capacity to participate or raise awareness by posting on social networks can generate considerable impact at the grassroots level. Click here to see Generocity’s list of mutual aid groups.
- PANO (Pennsylvania Association of Nonprofit Organizations) provides a forum for crowd-aggregated strategies for responding to Covid-19. PANO has gathered helpful links for a number of areas of concern, from legislation guides to fundraising sources, including a COVID 19 Charity Preparedness Facebook Group. This group provides a forum for nonprofit professionals to discuss and share contingency plans for dealing with your organization’s response to Coronavirus (note: this is a private group, so you will need to request permission to join).
- The Council on Foundations shares a list of COVID-19 Response Funds available through community foundations across the country. Many organizations are turning to community foundations to provide rapid relief. These foundations use a community-based donation strategy to complement government response and help support longer-term recovery initiatives. This crowd-sourced document shares an overview of funds and community resources. Click here to explore the list.
- ImpactED works with our partners to provide resources that support local nonprofit organizations and the communities they serve. In fall 2020, ImpactED, Connect the Dots, and Witty Gritty hosted a Nonprofit Leaders’ Convening for leaders of Barra Foundation grantees. At the convening, participants had an opportunity to share wins and hone in on challenge areas (e.g., communications, external stakeholder engagement, financial planning & funding, planning & prioritization, staff burnout, and virtual engagement & service delivery) together. Click here to explore a list of resources with strategies and case examples on each of these challenge areas.
In the weeks and months ahead, we will continue to rely on one another to support our communities. We’d love to hear how your organization is collaborating with partners to make the most of a challenging time. Please share any tips or resources you’ve found helpful with us in the comments or tag them on our social media pages – we’d love to connect!
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