Giving Compass' Take:

• Here are lessons from Borealis Philanthropy on becoming better funders during the COVID-19 crisis, which touch on how to support organizations and partners effectively. 

• What learnings can individual donors glean from these lessons? Has your charitable giving strategy changed since the pandemic began? 

• Read more about how donors can respond to COVID-19. 

Over the past couple of months, the impacts of COVID-19 have expanded in ways that have challenged us in philanthropy to reflect on our role right now.

The challenges brought about by this global pandemic are in fact an opportunity for us to become better grantmakers—to trust the leadership of people doing the work, to make long-term, significant investments in their vision, and ultimately, to get out of their way.

In March, we shared what we were hearing from organizers and advocates about challenges they are facing and what they need from funders. We also shared some of the questions we have been grappling with, as we have considered how to meet emerging grantee needs.

We’d like to share some of the ways we have responded to COVID-19, as well as lessons we have learned. We hope our reflections are useful for others contemplating changes in their own grantmaking, and that we will hear feedback on what more we can do:

  1. Rapidly moving increased funding to groups on the ground
  2. Easing application and reporting burdens on grantees
  3. Prioritizing flexible funding
  4. Collaborating with funder partners

Our responses to COVID-19 build upon our existing practices and principles as a grantmaker. Our commitments to accessibility, collaboration, easing burdens on grantees, offering flexible funding, and investing in communities impacted by injustice are not a temporary response to this pandemic—they are practices we will continue to deepen over time in order to become more thoughtful, intentional funders of social movements.

Read the full article about becoming a better funder during the crisis at Borealis Philanthropy.