Covid-19 Coverage: Analysis and Data

The total includes $6 billion from U.S. sources, according to Candid, a foundation research group. The top donor was Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, who gave $1 billion.

The most common response to the question “What actions have you taken in the last three weeks” to help others was “nothing.”

Just 22 percent expect to meet those goals, according to a new survey of 415 advancement professionals at 48 colleges and universities.

Funds at community foundations as well as those run by commercial sponsors are seeing a rise in the amounts donors are channeling to charities hurt by the economic and health crisis as well as in the number of grants awarded.

In addition, more than half of donors polled said they planned to keep their average annual giving levels consistent over the next year. Only 8.8 percent said they intended to reduce their annual giving.

Resist magical thinking, consider hiring interim “restructuring” executives to help overwhelmed leaders, and get ready to make a lot of tough decisions as a new study finds that more than half of nonprofits think the worst is yet to come.

Assets held by private foundations are projected to decline 12.7 percent this year to $976 billion, according to FoundationMark.

A pledge by foundations to provide more general operating support, reduce paperwork, and support organizations in the hardest hit communities is seen as a crucial opening.

“The strength of a funder’s grantees at the end of this crisis will be a much better measure of the significance of a foundation than the size of its endowment,” their letter says.

The coronavirus pandemic is pushing grant makers to do things differently. Some in philanthropy hope the changes stick long after the current crises ends.

After nearly three years of study, a congressionally chartered group’s final report made 49 recommendations to boost military and civilian service.

The pain will be widespread but some groups, such as food banks and arts groups, the damage will be more severe.

Private donations are fueling important accountability reporting, ensuring scrutiny of government officials as well as critical guidance in life-and-death matters for people in communities across the nation. Sustained support will be crucial as this catastrophe continues.

Sixty percent said they trust nonprofits to “do what’s right” during a pandemic. The results suggest that charities shouldn’t hesitate to ask for help now.

Sixty percent said they are experiencing “destabilizing conditions that threaten long-term financial stability.”

The Cares Act includes a one-year freeze on the mandate that IRA holders age 72 and older make a minimum annual withdrawal from their accounts. Some fundraisers are eyeing whether the waiver, along with the roiling stock market that ended years of growth in IRAs, will discourage this way of giving.

Recessions aren’t always catastrophic for nonprofits, but the coronavirus crisis doesn’t fit the mold of past disasters.

Maya Winkelstein, CEO of the Open Road Alliance, explains what charities need as they grapple with coronavirus and how grant makers can help.

As the scale of the crisis nonprofits face becomes apparent, the need can be paralyzing. Recognizing that there are three distinct funding needs can help grant makers take action: Response — emergency funding that keeps an organization going for the next month or allows it to serve immediate needs…

Most important: Reach out to big donors now because those who feel ignored sometimes stop giving altogether when the economy and the situation around the world brightens.