As our Bay Area nonprofits rise to the challenge of meeting new and dramatically increased needs, we know that many are also struggling to keep their doors open and services running during this tumultuous time. San Francisco Foundation is working to support our grantees through this unprecedented time and to provide services and resources that all Bay Area nonprofits can use.
On this page, you’ll find important information on:
- technical assistance for nonprofits adapting to working online,
- resources for navigating the federal CARES Act and the provisions that impact nonprofits,
- how we are removing restrictions and requirements on grants and our grantmaking efforts, and
- other recommended resources for nonprofit and community leaders.
Capacity Building and Technical Assistance
Nonprofits and community organizations throughout the Bay Area are moving quickly to protect their staff, stabilize their organizations, and deepen support for our most vulnerable communities. San Francisco Foundation is working with trusted providers to help Bay Area nonprofits adapt and strengthen their financial management, operations, and program strategies along with holistic wellness offerings for nonprofit staff.
Support for Virtual Fundraising and Remote Work
SFF supports Catchafire, an online tool that connects nonprofits with professionals who want to donate their skills, pro bono. Catchafire is currently offering free weekly webinars for all nonprofit and community organizations on building team culture while working virtually, fundraising in the time of COVID-19, and developing virtual fundraising events. Plus, Bay Area nonprofits can share ideas and access Catchafire experts on their shared Slack channel.
See all of Catchafire’s COVID-19 resources and request access to the shared Slack channel.
Do you have skills you can share with local nonprofit organizations during this time? Become a Catchafire volunteer!
Navigating Federal Stimulus and the CARES Act
Finance Practices and Tools in the Wake of COVID-19
The delivery of nonprofit programs in our community has and will continue to shift as organizations adapt to the current reality. These programmatic shifts coupled with uncertainty in revenue require nonprofits to make difficult decisions in a changing environment. SFF is partnering with Financial Management Associates (FMA) and Tipping Point Community to offer webinars and online tools for nonprofit organizations.
Financial Management Associates (FMA) is providing resources, tools, public clinics, and advice to help all Bay Area nonprofits access the parts of the federal stimulus and response resources (CARES Act) that pertain to nonprofits. Visit FMA’s Paycheck Protection Program Toolbox for more information including recorded webinars that were offered to our nonprofit partners and grantees.
Link to the Navigating the Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Process Clinics recordings from June 17 or June 18.
SFF Grantmaking
SFF is committed to supporting our grantees through this time of unprecedented crisis. We have made substantial changes to lessen and eliminate requirements for grantees at all stages of the grants process.
- Most new grants are for general operating support.
- Existing project support grants may be converted to general operating support grants.
- Grant requirements are still considered complete even if conferences, events, or other project deliverables had to be postponed or canceled.
- Grant resources may be used to cover costs associated with canceled events or other COVID-19 related impacts
- Implemented new processes to ensure that grantees continue to receive their funding in a timely and safe manner.
For questions about your grant or requests to convert a project grant to general operating support, please reach out to your contact at SFF or email us at programs@sff.org
San Francisco Foundation COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund
SFF established a rapid response fund to support grassroots, community-based responses to the COVID-19 pandemic. Through this fund we have been proud to support more than 300 Bay Area organizations helping their communities cope with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have granted out more than $3 million to address food security, housing and homelessness, support for workers, domestic violence, and addressing racism against Asian Americans.
View list of organizations receiving grants from the SFF COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund. (List of organizations was updated as of July 9, 2020.)
Recommended Resources
The team at SFF has researched a few resources that we think are particularly helpful in supporting the operations and leadership of nonprofits and community leaders during this time.
Technology: Free 3-month emergency remote work toolkits for nonprofits
LogMeIn (which owns GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar) is offering nonprofits three free months of their online meetings, video conference, and remote desktop support products. Interested organizations should fill out this contact form on the LogMeIn website to learn more and apply for access.
Leadership: Organizational Crisis Response Webinars
Social impact strategy consultants Third Plateau have made available a recorded four-part webinar series that translates crisis response best practices for nonprofits looking to develop systems and strategies to respond, mitigate, and recover from the COVID-19 crisis. Sessions focus on rapid needs assessment, developing an emergency response plan, resiliency and risk monitoring, and leadership and equity in uncertain times. The webinar series is free for all nonprofits and can be taken at your own pace.
Fundraising Resources in a Virtual Environment
Network For Good offers a “Free Fundraising Resources Library” accessible to all nonprofits. The fundraising library includes virtual fundraising toolkits and webinars on how to communicate digitally during a crisis. Access the Free Fundraising Resources Library.
