Giving Compass' Take:

• Donors can support communities in times of crisis in three primary ways: Listening, collectively coming to a solution, and moving quickly.

• What are you doing to help communities in need? Do these three suggestions resonate with you as a donor? 

• Read more on how donors can support nonprofits. 

Natural disasters and other crises are a heartbreaking fact of our lives.

We see sudden disturbances from Mother Nature with regular frequency, from floods to tornados to hurricanes. We also see occurrences that are rarer, such as an outbreak of an unexpected illness, like we're currently experiencing now with COVID-19. While the geography, circumstances and impact of these events can vary dramatically, they all inspire the same response within our communities — a desire to help those in need.

In the philanthropic sector, I regularly hear from organizations that seek to help serve and support communities in need. Through this work, I've identified three primary pieces of guidance that can help guide our giving and support in times of urgent need, whether it be a grant made by a funder, an individual choosing to make a donation or volunteer or a corporate partner offering resources. While the initial response to a crisis may be to quickly offer our aid to the first source of suffering we see, a swift, purposeful and thoughtful approach can serve those in need far more effectively and efficiently.

  1. Listen. tart by listening carefully to your community to better understand both where needs exist and resources to support those needs are lacking. That can be the space where you do the most good.
  2. Resist the urge to drift out of your lane.  We are best served when we are all able to lean on our strengths to collectively contribute to a solution.
  3. Be ready and willing to move quickly. Identify an abbreviated evaluation process you can follow that allows you to review opportunities thoughtfully, yet engage in a timely manner.

 Read the full article about serving communities in crisis by Steven Moore at Forbes.