Nonprofits Are Responding to COVID-19 and They Need Your Help

Companies around the world are taking steps to act responsibly in their reactions to the COVID-19 pandemic, and non-profit organizations are no exception.

Indeed, non-profits in healthcare, food access, humanitarian relief, kids/youth and those serving the creative community have all rallied around making a difference during the pandemic. Below, we’ve highlighted some of the non-profits that have programs specific to COVID-19, and how you can help.

I. Healthcare

Direct Relief

Direct Relief is working to get protective gear and critical care medications to as many health workers as possible, as quickly as possible. The organization has been coordinating with public health authorities, nonprofits and businesses in the U.S. and globally to provide personal protective equipment and essential medical items to health workers responding to coronavirus.

Click here to learn more and donate to Direct Relief’s efforts.

Solidarity Response Fund for WHO

The World Health Organization (WHO) is leading and coordinating the global effort with a range of partners, to support countries in preventing, detecting, and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. WHO tracks the spread of the virus to ensure patients get the care they need and frontline workers get essential supplies and information, and to accelerate research and development of a vaccine and treatments for all who need them.

Click here to learn more and donate to WHO’s Solidarity Response Fund.

Give 2 Asia

Give 2 Asia is an Asia-Pacific nonprofit that is supporting frontline health workers and national public health priorities. The organization has been raising funds to slow the spread of the virus, and has been busy driving donations via public health messaging campaigns. Give 2 Asia is committed to raising funds to prepare health workers and communities to fight this and future epidemics.

Click here to learn more and donate to Give 2 Asia.

International Medical Corps UK

Working with the WHO, International Medical Corps is leveraging its relationships with local and national ministries of health globally to provide expertise, equipment, training, and triage and treatment services. The organization is committed to ensuring that at-risk countries and regions are able to prepare for and respond to potential outbreaks of coronavirus. Priority response activities include personal protective equipment, deployment of screening and triage stations, case management, community outreach and engagement and an epidemic response team.

Click here to learn more and to donate to International Medical Corps.

CDC Foundation

Funds raised by the CDC Foundation through its Emergency Response Fund will be used to meet fast-emerging needs identified by CDC to help respond to the public health threat posed by this virus. These include additional support for state and local health departments, support for the global response, logistics, communications, data management, personal protective equipment, critical response supplies and more.

Click here to learn more and to donate to the CDC Foundation.

II. Food Access

Feeding America

Feeding America has launched the COVID-19 Response Fund, a national food- and fund-raising effort to support people facing hunger and the food banks that help them. The organization is partnering with school districts and local government agencies to ensure that the 22 million children who rely on school meals everyday have access to food outside of the classroom. Feeding America has built an inventory of emergency food boxes to distribute to food banks across the country as the need for food assistance increases. It is also providing emergency grants to food banks to support local response efforts.

Click here to learn more and to donate Feeding America.

Akshaya Patra

Akshaya Patra is an India-based nonprofit that has launched the COVID-19 Relief Feeding Program to support the needy with cooked meals and groceries. At the time this article was written, the organization had already served more than 92 million cooked meals and distributed more than 3 million grocery kits throughout India.

Click here to learn more and to donate to Akshaya Patra.

United National World Food Program

Even when supply chains break, people still need food to survive. As the COVID-19 pandemic causes border closures, travel restrictions and supply chain complexities, the World Food Programme (WFP) is on a mission to find ways to continue saving and changing the lives of the most vulnerable. The organization’s experience and expertise in emergency response, logistics and supply chain, emergency telecommunications, nutrition and other key areas, means they are ready to help through this unprecedented crisis.

Click here to learn more and to donate to WFP.

No Kid Hungry

No Kid Hungry is using donations large and small to support kids who are struggling. The organization has already distributed $7.5 million in emergency grant funding to schools and community groups across the U.S. feeding children during the pandemic. With the help of these grants, programs plan to serve 2.95 million healthy meals a day during this crisis.

Click here to learn more and donate to No Kid Hungry.

III. Relief/Humanitarian

American Red Cross

The American Red Cross is working in coordination with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), seeking people who are fully recovered from the new coronavirus to sign up to donate plasma to help current COVID-19 patients. Patients who have fully recovered following a COVID-19 diagnosis may have antibodies in their plasma that can help those with serious or immediately life-threatening COVID-19 infections. Donations to the American Red Cross also fund shelter, meals, relief items, health and mental health services and spiritual care, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.

Click here to learn more and donate to the American Red Cross.

Silicon Valley Community Foundation (SVCF)

SVCF is leading multiple efforts with San Francisco Bay Area philanthropic, government and corporate partners to protect public health and assist those affected by the disease and its impact. These responses include support for: (1) low-income individuals and families who are most severely affected, (2) nonprofit organizations whose operations are being affected, and (3) small businesses with employees at risk for lost wages.

Click here to learn more and donate to SVCF.

HelpAge India

HelpAge India is committed to helping the elders, homeless and migrant daily wage laborers in India who are facing their toughest times amid COVID-19. The organization is now preparing Family Survival Kits, which include basic rations such as rice, wheat, spices, cooking oil, as well as Coronavirus protective gear like masks, bathing and washing soaps. The organization is also providing free meals to the homeless.

Click here to learn more and donate to HelpAge India.

Action Aid

Action Aid is committed to easing the humanitarian crisis caused by the spread of Coronavirus. The organization provides dry food rations to people every day and also provides facilities with Sanitation kits. The organization is also committed to spreading awareness of COVID-19 to individuals, with support materials to individuals. It has responded in 21 states and 171 districts across India thus far.

Click here to learn more and donate to Action Aid.

IV. Kids/Youth

Save the Children UK

Save the children UK is helping families globally in refugee camps, war zones, and urban slums, who will struggle to cope if coronavirus hits hard. The organization is working to put measures in place to prevent infection – especially in areas where it’s virtually impossible to practice social distancing and safe hand-washing. The organization is helping with vital training of health care workers and community sensitization, as well as providing protective equipment, medical supplies and more in areas where cases are high. The organization is also raising funds to help children learn remotely, getting books and educational resources to the poorest of families, and supporting children to return to school when it is safe.

Click here to learn more and donate to Save the Children UK.

UNICEF Australia

UNICEF Australia is committed to supporting children and families affected by coronavirus in Australia. The organization is asking for donations to help support infection prevention and control, delivery of protective equipment, risk communication and community engagement, and more.

Click here to learn more and donate to UNICEF Australia.

Teach for America

Teach for America is providing resources to support students and communities during the COVID-19 outbreak. The organization is providing teachers with free training to help them with remote learning, and they are also providing resources and plans for school and district leaders who are managing school closures. The organization is advocating to raise funds for vulnerable students and communities impacted by the coronavirus outbreak.

Click here to learn more and to donate to Teach for America.

V. Creative Community

CERF+

CERF+ is a critical safety-net for artists who contract the coronavirus. In order to address the anticipated increase in requests for assistance, the organization established the COVID-19 Response Fund. This fund is designed to provide artists with the resources and information they need to sustain their careers and navigate these times.

Click here to learn more and to donate to CERF+.

Americans for the Arts

Americans for the Arts is committed to helping both individual artists as well as arts organizations, and has rolled out a new resource center to provide the community a one-stop-shop for navigating information more quickly. Artists can find Federal Relief Information, helpful webinars and other resources, while organizations can learn about relief funds, get access to impact surveys, articles and news that put the crisis into context.

Click here to learn more and to donate to Americans for the Arts.

The Safety Net Fund

The Safety Net Fund is a non-profit designed to support artists in the San Francisco Bay Area during the COVID-19 crisis. This fund offers grants to artists, with no expectation of repayment, to help provide direct monetary support through this crisis.

Click here to learn more and to donate to The Safety New Fund.