Giving Compass' Take:

• As COVID-19 exacerbates inequities throughout communities, there are ways that philanthropy can help those who need it most.

• How are you supporting the most vulnerable in your community during this time? 

• Read more about how to make an impact on coronavirus. 

COVID-19 is a global pandemic with very local implications. We are constantly reminded that COVID-19 is quickly spreading and communities must act quickly to contain it. Containment efforts purposely disrupt the ways in which people live, work, learn, and play.

Studying public health, I learned that we are only as safe as the most vulnerable person in our communities. Viruses don’t care how rich or poor you are, or about the color of your skin: but our response to this crisis should take all of those things into consideration. The many interventions sparked by the COVID-19 outbreak, while essential and welcome, prioritize disease containment and the stabilization of a volatile economy over ensuring solutions that are rooted in equity and lift up those who most need it.

Those of us in the philanthropic sector, must consider how we more broadly ensure the health and wellbeing of everyone in our communities, both in times of crisis and beyond.

There is much we can do to help bridge the inequities that this crisis magnifies.

  1. Influence the narrative. We must center the voices of communities who are contending with the disparate effects of this pandemic.
  2. Be nimble with your grantmaking. On a recent statewide funder webinar, leaders shared that foundations should consider core support and flexible reporting for those organizations serving our communities most in need.
  3. Act today, act tomorrow. While time is of the essence in containing the spread of COVID-19, we must also adapt our longer-term strategies to address the underlying structural inequities that put people with the fewest resources in harm’s way.
  4. Listen. Serving in a safety net health system for several years, I learned very early on that community members are the best experts on what they need.

Read the full article about promoting equity during COVID-19 by Crispin Delgado at Northern California Grantmakers.