Nonprofits are critical players in communities responding to the COVID-19 public health emergency, and the related affects of major disruptions to daily life. Bookmark this page for up-to-date information for nonprofits to address all aspects of the crisis on their own organizations, staff and volunteers, meeting the needs of their communities, and adapting day to day.
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- Find related virtual events and webinars
MARYLAND-SPECIFIC GUIDANCE:
- From the Office of the Governor
- Department of Health
- Department of Commerce
- Grab-and-Go Meals around the state for children under 18
- Maryland Department Press Release, March 16 on Senior Call Check
- Marylanders can also call 211 to receive information related to COVID-19. You can also sign up for text alerts by texting MDReady to 898211.
- On March 17, we held a webinar with the Maryland Health Department. To request the slides or ask questions about that presentation, fill out this form.
- Maryland Department of Transportation: Service updates from MDOT
- Maryland Small Business COVID-19 Emergency Relief Grant Fund
Up-to-date as of March 27, 2020
We take a stand against all forms of hate, racism and xenophobia. Nonprofits have an important role to play in keeping communities free of hatred and violence, and ourselves making equitable decisions in this time of crisis. COVID-19 is a global pandemic, the likes of which we have never seen. It is therefore incumbent upon all of us to stand together as a community of neighbors, colleagues, practitioners and leaders. This time calls upon all of us – our members, friends and partners – to be generous, safe and kind. We’ll get through this…together. We will be leading a webinar on this topic next week and we invite your thoughts and questions on this.
WEBINARS
Upcoming Webinars from Maryland Nonprofits
Find our entire calendar of events here.
Recorded Webinars from Maryland Nonprofits
We are recording every webinar and providing the slides here. Bookmark this page so you don’t need to fill this out more than once!
ADVOCACY ACTIONS AND POLICY ALERTS
Letter to Maryland State Leadership
Together, Maryland Nonprofits, the Maryland Philanthropy Network, and the United Way of Central Maryland have drafted a letter to state leaders on thing they can do to support the nonprofit community during this time. You can read that letter here. .
Families First Act Analysis for Nonprofits
The National Council of Nonprofits released an analysis of the Families First Act on March 19 and described the effect it will have on nonprofits. You can read it here.
The Department of Labor has also released guidance for employers and employees.
FFCRA (Families First Coronavirus Response Act) News (March 24):
The US Department of Labor has published their initial guidance on the Families First Act. Undoubtedly more information will be available soon, but these documents offer clarification on some aspects of the Act.
- Guidance for Employees: who is eligible, how to calculate pay, duration of leave, and more
- Guidance for Employers: who is covered, qualifying reasons for leave, tax credits, and more
- Questions and Answers: frequently asked questions
Healthcare for the Homeless
This Healthcare for the Homeless Issue Brief discusses needed policy responses for a high-risk group.
National Letter to Congress
This is a letter from nonprofits nationwide asking Congress to include us in any stimulus package they release related to this crisis.
HEALTH RESOURCES
World Health Organization
- Free Learning Resource: an interactive, web-based, knowledge-transfer platform offering online courses to improve the response to health emergencies.
- Advice for the Public regarding COVID-19
- Situation Dashboard: A map describing the current status world-wide
Centers for Disease Control
- Interim Guidance for Businesses and Employers to Plan and Respond to COVID-19: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will update this interim guidance as needed and as additional information becomes available.
- Information for Travel: Information for travelers and travel related industries as it relates to COVID-19
- Crisis and Emergency Risk Communication
- Facts About COVID-19
- Interim Guidance for Responding to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) among People Experiencing Unsheltered Homelessness
Mental Health Resources
Other Health Resources
- American Society of Refrigerating Engineers: Position Document on Airborne Infectious Diseases
- US Traveler’s Association: Emergency Preparedness and Response: COVID-19
- US Department of Labor: Safety and Health Topics, COVID-19
- No Handshake Zone Sign: Out of an abundance of caution, at any essential meetings, we are enforcing a no handshake zone to prevent the spread of disease. Please feel free to use it as well.
- Guidance for NYS Office of Children and Family Services Programs: Information on how the NYS Office of Children and Family Services is adjusting their practices to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
- American Academy of Pediatrics: Information as it relates specifically to children
- Johns Hopkins: Coronavirus Resource Center
- American Institute for Research: Frequently Asked Questions in plain language
BUSINESS FUNCTION RESOURCES
General Business Functions
- TechImpact: Prepare Your Nonprofit for Smooth Sailing Through COVID-19, Recorded Webinar
- Event Manager Blog: Coronavirus: What You Need to Know About Cancelling an Event and Liability Risks
- US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission: Pandemic Preparedness in the Workplace and the Americans with Disabilities Act.
- Society for Human Resource Management: Communicating with Employees During a Crisis
- Risk Alternatives Blog: What Your Nonprofit Can Do Now to Reduce Risks Relating to COVID-19 (Coronavirus)
- We have released our Standards for Excellence Resource Packet on Administrative Policies free of charge.
- Washington Nonprofits: Recorded webinar, What am I supposed to do about my fundraising event?
- National Association of Social Workers: Resources for specifically for Social Workers
- Coronavirus and the HCH Community Webinar on March 20: Status Updates, Available Guidance, Local Preparations, and Outstanding Issues
- Venable LLP:
- March 16 Update: Insurance Coverage for Event Cancellation Due to COVID-19 in Light of Pandemic Declaration
- Recorded Webinar from March 11: Discusses the legal issues that can arise from COVID-19
- Resources: A general resource page
- Blog: Interpreting Force Majeure Clauses
- Think HR: COVID-19 HR Guidance and Best Practices
- NFIB: Congressional and Legal Update for Small Businesses, Slides from March 20, 2020
- Jitasa: Attend a webinar on SBA disaster loans or talk to an expert pro-bono
Remote Work
- TechSoup: Nonprofit Resources for Remote Work
- Move Minneapolis: Work from Home Webinar
- Free Conferencing Tools:
- Google and Microsoft are offering their conferencing tools free-of-charge for a limited time.
- GoToMeeting is also offering their remote work tools free for three months.
- Webinar from Slack on working remotely
- Zoom: Has a free option
- Learn to use Zoom in 5 minutes
- Society for Human Resource Management Blog: If You Never Worked from Home Before, Here are 10 Suggestions #Coronavirus
- NTEN: 9 best practices for engagement in virtual meetings
- Upcoming Webinars from Tech Impact:
- March 30, 2020: How to Set Up Microsoft Teams for First Time Users: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting It Right the First Time
- March 31, 2020: Remote Program Delivery: Adapting During COVID-19
- April 2, 2020: Panel Q&A: Remote Work During (and Beyond) COVID-19
Standards for Excellence
The Standards for Excellence Institute has made their Administrative Policies Educational Packet, Guide to Remote Work, and Crisis and Disaster Planning Resources free during this time.
Guidance for Board of Directors
- One-pager from Maryland Nonprofits on remote gatherings.
- BoardSource: What Nonprofit Board Members Should Be Doing Right Now to Address the COVID-19 Situation.
FINANCIAL RESOURCES
United States Small Business Administration
Small businesses and nonprofits can now apply for low-interest working capital loans of up to $2 million from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) to help alleviate economic injury resulting from the on-going coronavirus pandemic.
The loans may be used to pay fixed debts, payroll, accounts payable, and other bills that can’t be paid because of the pandemic’s impact. The interest rate is 3.75 percent for small businesses without credit available elsewhere; businesses with credit available elsewhere are not eligible. The interest rate for nonprofits is 2.7 percent. Businesses and nonprofits apply directly to the SBA, which will determine loan terms on a case-by-case basis based upon each borrower’s ability to repay.
You can download a list of SBA lenders from the MD District SBA Office
Greater Washington Community Foundation
The COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund will initially support the ability of our region’s nonprofit system to respond to the immediate health and economic impacts of this crisis. Learn more about the fund.
Maryland Philanthropy Network
Our partners at the Maryland Philanthropy Network have developed their own COVID-19 resource page, which includes responses from philanthropy, funding resources in our state, best practices in disaster grantmaking, and more.
The Arc Maryland
The Arc Maryland is now accepting applications for a Small Grant Opportunity: Engagement and Comfort during the COVID-19 Pandemic. See the application here. This opportunity is open to community-based organizations that provide supports to people with developmental disabilities. Funds must be used to meet the needs of people with developmental disabilities and their families and promote engagement with peers, alleviate anxiety due to social distancing, and/or increase positive shared experiences. Grants shall be awarded for proposals $500 to $2,500. The Arc Maryland and the Maryland Developmental Disabilities Council will host an informational conference call on Wednesday, March 18 at 9:00 am to answer questions. If you would like to participate in the call, please contact Luc Chausse at lchausse@thearcmd.org. If you are unable to email Mr. Chausse, you may call (443) 851-9351, leave your name, email address and phone number in a message and you will receive an email with call credentials.
Candid
Candid has created a webpage with a summary of funds being distributed as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak as well as resources for your organization to find funding.
HOW ARE OTHER NONPROFITS ADAPTING?
In these unprecedented times, many nonprofits are adapting their programs and services in creative ways. If you know of an organization doing great work during this crisis, please let us know.
Business Volunteers Maryland
Business Volunteers Maryland has compiled a website to submit needs and find opportunities to help.
Girl Scouts of Central Maryland
The Girl Scouts of Central Maryland have set up Virtual Badge Workshops, with science experiments and art projects for every day of the week while children are home from school.
House of Ruth Maryland
House of Ruth Maryland remains committed to providing services to victims of intimate partner violence.
House of Ruth Maryland’s 24-hour hotline and emergency shelter will remain open. Protective and Peace Order protections are also still available through Court Commissioners. For immediate assistance, contact 410-889-7884 and you can find information on additional services available at www.hruth.org/covid.
KSS Solutions
Visit this page to find ways to give and get help in Baltimore.
Maryland Citizens for the Arts
Maryland Citizens for the Arts has created a page to 1) share ways people can help artists/art organizations during this time and 2) collect resources for artists and art organizations.
Open Works
With medical professionals nationwide in need of personal protection equipment, Open Works identified a way to help when they saw a design online for face shields that can be made using 3D printers. Read more from the Baltimore Sun.
St. Francis Neighborhood Center
In addition to food resources, St. Francis Neighborhood Center in Baltimore is providing students out of school with laptops so they can complete their work during this extended closure period.
Volunteering Untapped
As the coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to spread, more businesses, schools, organizations and other resources are closing and individuals are encouraged to avoid crowded places. The effects of this are hardest felt by some of Baltimore City’s most vulnerable residents. Volunteering Untapped has created a page for organizations to ask for help and for people to find organizations to volunteer at. It also includes resources for the Baltimore COVID-19 Food Security Fund and the American Red Cross.
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