Responding to COVID-19 in an Equitable Way: Resources to Assist Nonprofits

June 2020

COVID-19 is testing the resiliency of our social fabric. In the United States, prices for food, household items, and other essentials are becoming more and more unaffordable. Unemployment has skyrocketed. Cities are reporting mile-long food distribution lines. There are growing concerns related to equitable educational attainment for poorer families and students of color. COVID-19-related hospitalizations and deaths are higher among Black, Latinx, and Native American and Indigenous people.

The root of these growing, disparate conditions didn’t begin with COVID-19, and the inequity is certainly too great for any one sector of society to fix alone. In “Reflections on lessons learned from HIV/AIDS activism,” Ambassador Schroeder Stribling says:

“Solutions on a large scale will come when every vector of our economy is persuaded that it is in their best interest to participate in fighting poverty and racism—no matter their motivation, financial or moral or both. Business, faith, government, philanthropy, the civic sector and those with lived experience most especially—we need everyone at this table.”

With this in mind, many nonprofits are stepping up to play a critical role in helping vulnerable communities obtain equitable access to services—even as they struggle with their own sustainability in such troubling times. To assist nonprofits, the Leap Ambassadors Community developed a COVID-19 Resources Page with specific actions and helpful resources. Its Inclusion Resources section identifies articles and resources that promote principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice. Many of the resources offer insights for courageous and adaptive leaders committed to an even sharper focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion as they reimagine and reinvent their organizations.

The list is far from complete but growing, as ambassadors, like Christine Robinson, continue to provide credible and actionable resources, based on their individual expertise: “I do a considerable amount of work with traditionally marginalized communities. I work on environmental justice, health disparities, education, housing and numerous social determinants of health and wellbeing. My entire practice is focused on imbuing organizations, systems, and policies with equity.”

Inclusion resources to shape, aid, and inform your equitable response during COVID-19:

Race and Ethnicity

Disability Inclusion

Mobilization

  • “Novel? The Echo of AIDS in the Time of Coronavirus” – A letter from Schroeder Stribling about her personal experience as a daughter and activist
  • “Support Equity” – Section of the PowerOf platform from the Gates Foundation highlights giving opportunities to fight COVID-19 with a particular emphasis on supporting Black, Indigenous and people of color, women, people with disabilities and LGBTIQ communities that are disproportionately affected by the pandemic

Other topics of interest may be found on the Leap of Reason Ambassadors Community COVID-19 Resources Page. For additional information on The Performance Imperative, a framework for social-sector excellence developed collaboratively by the Leap of Reason Ambassadors Community, visit the Leap Ambassadors website.

document icon DOWNLOAD PDF

The Leap of Reason Ambassadors Community is a private community of experts and leaders who believe that mission and performance are inextricably linked. Our resources are collaboratively developed and offered to the field to support organizations on their journeys to high performance.

Follow Us

© Copyright 2024 | Leap of Reason Ambassadors Community. All Rights Reserved.