Voices from the Field

No doubt, the COVID-19 crisis elicits a strong sense of purpose in every grantmaker, interspersed with moments of feeling overwhelmed. How do we meet all of the pressing needs in a society with a relatively weak social safety net and glaring inequalities, relative to our collective resources? How much should we deviate from our existing programs and grantees? What is… Read More

In mid-March, as the scope and gravity of the COVID-19 pandemic unfolded, Oregon Community Foundation (OCF) moved nearly 100% of our staff to remote workplaces at the very moment our work increased in urgency and complexity. The pace of change and dramatic shift in service delivery is something none of us had ever experienced. I have been humbled by the… Read More

Like many of you, our fund has been rocked by this global pandemic. At The Tzedek Social Justice Fund (formerly known as the Amy Mandel and Katina Rodis Fund), our staff are juggling the lack of childcare and the time-consuming, sometimes traumatizing, preparation to protect the lives of the vulnerable individuals in our families. But organizationally what we hold is… Read More

Fourth generation Hoffberger family members gathered in April to begin the final phase of their foundation’s strategic planning process that started nine months ago with GMA Foundations consultant Amy Shorey. The world has changed since then, yet the themes that connect current trustees with previous generations of their family, and with the communities they love, have not. Seven Hoffberger brothers… Read More

My children are too young to understand COVID-19 or its global impact. All they know is that their mum and dad are at home, working far more hours than usual. When they are older, we will tell them about the COVID-19 pandemic. I hope that we can tell them that we persevered. They can learn about the families that spent… Read More

In the past few weeks, we have been inundated with information about how philanthropy can respond to this pandemic. Many emergency and collaborative funds are being formed by reputable intermediaries, making it easier to get money into the hands of those who need it most. It’s heartening to see the clear and consistent messages coming from all parts of the sector: assure your grantee partners that you have their back; keep your funding flexible; support both immediate needs and long-term recovery; and focus on the most vulnerable. We’ve learned these lessons from other crises and need to apply them now… Read More