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Our Response to COVID-19: Resources and Opportunities
Emergency responders don protective equipment during training for the transportation isolation system, which can be used to safely transport patients with diseases like novel coronavirus. Photo by Cody R. Miller, courtesy of the U.S. Air Force.
In times of crisis, opportunities to make the world more just, sustainable, and peaceful may seem increasingly out of reach. But these moments can also sharpen our vision and bring increased clarity about our obligations as individuals, community members, and global citizens.
As the coronavirus spreads across the globe, we have seen shining examples of people standing up—often at great personal risk—to heal, comfort, and support loved ones and strangers alike. From healthcare workers testing and treating patients in overwhelmed facilities; to cultural institutions and artists streaming content to fill our days and our hearts while under quarantine; to movement leaders mobilizing online to ensure equal access to healthcare, civic participation, and basic resources in these trying times, we are heartened and inspired by so many demonstrating the real meaning of "philanthropy": love for mankind.
We at the Rockefeller Brothers Fund are leveraging our resources to the fullest extent possible to support these efforts to respond to the health, social, and economic impacts of the coronavirus spread in our community and around the world. We urge other funders—and all others who are able—to join us in supporting nonprofits who are rising to the occasion during this once-in-a-generation crisis.
Philanthropy's Commitment During COVID-19
The shocks of COVID-19 are severe and unanticipated for the philanthropic sector and grantee partners. Leaders in philanthropy recognize the critical need to act with fierce urgency to support our nonprofit partners as well as the people and communities hit hardest by the impacts of COVID-19. The RBF and dozens of other funders have committed to easing burdens on our grantees and lifting their voices to address the crisis.
| for grantees | for funders |
NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund
The NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund is a $75 million (and growing) effort to aid nonprofit service providers struggling with the health and economic effects of the coronavirus. It will give grants and loans to help NYC-based healthcare and food insecurity nonprofits, as well as arts organizations in the cultural capital of the nation, with equipment, personnel, technological assistance, and support for financial losses. The RBF has pledged $700,000 to this fund, including $200,000 earmarked for cultural institutions.
| for NYC-based nonprofits | via NY Community Trust | |
WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund
The RBF has pledged $500,000 to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund to support the World Health Organization (WHO). This fund will help to send essential supplies to frontline health workers, enable all countries to track and detect the disease, ensure access to the latest science-based information to prevent infection and care for those in need, and accelerate the discovery and development of lifesaving vaccines, diagnostics, and treatment.