COVID-19: Resources for Nonprofits

Hawaiʻi Sector Pulse Report

COVID and CARES Act: Lessons for and from Hawaiʻi’s Nonprofit Sector

Table of Contents

• Reopening Guidance
• CARES Act and other Relief Options for Nonprofits
• COVID-19 Technical Assistance for Nonprofits
• Resources for Your Employees
• Resources for Your Board
• What Nonprofits Need to Know
• Hawaii-Specific Information
• Managing Events and Conferences
• Human Resources and Telework
• Webinars to Help You Navigate COVID-19 Issues
• Free or Discounted Services
• Other News and Resources
• Recent COVID-19 related Press

Reopening Guidance

• CLICK HERE to visit the State Economic and Community Recovery Navigator website.
• HANO’s CONSIDERATIONS FOR REOPENING: A Planning Guide for Hawaiʻi Nonprofits: Offers guidance for nonprofit boards and staff on Operations and Workplace Readiness, Human Resources Considerations, Board Governance, Communication and Public Relations, and Events and Donor Engagement.
• Back to Work Toolkit: Designed for Seattle businesses but provides sample signage, how-tos, checklists, and other practical tools that can be modified for your use.
• Proper Safety Precautions When Returning to the Workplace: Slide deck
• Society of Human Resources Managers Return to Work Guidance for HR Issues
• Reopening Guidance for Event Planning
• Society of Human Resources Managers Return to Work Guide: Returning employees to the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic requires both vigilance and flexibility to navigate unchartered territory. HR needs to stay up-to-date and ready to respond as threats and opportunities occur.

CARES Act and other Relief Options for Nonprofits

• Save Hawaii Jobs and Businesses – Resources for Employers: The basics of the CARES Act and how employers can use it. PDF, Webinar Recordings
• COVID-19 Toolkit for Nonprofits: Solutions for Human Resource and Finance: HANO, Hawaii Investment Ready and Kanaeokana presented this webinar featuring Chana Anderson, ABD HR Services and Heather Piper, Hawai‘i Community Reinvestment Corporation, sharing HR and Finance strategies for nonprofits related to the Federal Relief options. Chana’s Slide Deck, Heather’s Slide Deck, Q&A & Webinar Recording.
• COVID-19 Resources for the Performing Arts: A list of resources for arts organizations and artists contending with the impacts of COVID-19, including Relief Grants (compiled by the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation Arts Program).
• City and County of Honolulu COVID response page

COVID-19 Technical Assistance for Nonprofits

• Hawaii Island – In partnership with national nonprofit organization the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund (CFE Fund), Mayor Harry Kim announced the launch of a free Financial Navigators program to help residents navigate critical financial issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Residents can access these remote services by completing [this] web form, or by calling 808-933-6600 to sign up. For more information, please go to https://www.hawaiifirstfcu.com/community-resource-center/ or contact Sharon Hirota at 961-8019.

Resources for Your Employees

• Aloha United Way 211: Hawaii’s only comprehensive, statewide community information and referral service. Free and confidential. 211 specialists help you find food, shelter, financial assistance, child care, parenting support, elderly care, disability services, job training and much more.
• Free Mental Health Resources from Hawaii Psychological Association: The Hawai‘i Mental Health Pro Bono COVID-19 Project realizes that the mental health and well-being of Hawaii’s residents is of utmost importance. Mental health experts, including psychologists, marriage and family therapists, clinical social workers, and mental health counselors, are offering free telehealth services to those without health insurance. To register, please complete the request form and you will be notified when a mental health care provider becomes available.
• Free Mental Health Support through NAMI: NAMI Hawaii provides free support, information and resources if you or a loved one is struggling with a mental health condition. Please contact NAMI Hawaii at info@namihawaii.org or (808) 591-1297.
• From Anxiety to Clarity: Evan Leong, Beth-Ann Kozlovich (previously on Hawaii Public Radio) and Trisha Kajmura from Sutter Health Kahi Mohala launched support to help us to deal with anxiety and move toward clarity. This program brings interviews with licensed therapists and coaches. ACCESS THE EPISODES HERE.
• People + Work Connect | Helping People Get Back to Work: The Hawaii Employers Council is excited to be partnering with Servco Pacific to offer a FREE web-based service that connects employers who are reducing their workforce with employers who are hiring. If your organization has had to layoff or furlough workers, you could help place them with employers who need their skills. If your company is hiring, you can more easily find applicants with the experience and qualifications you require.

Resources for Your Board

• What Nonprofit Board Members Should Be Doing Right Now to Address the COVID-19 Situation: The board needs to provide steady and adaptive leadership in partnership with and in support of the CEO.
• Leading an Organization through the COVID-19 Crisis: BoardSource blog post highlights 15 things to keep in mind as you adjust to the many new realities that COVID-19 has created.
• Tough Times Call for Tough Action: A Decision Framework for Nonprofit Leaders & Boards: This briefing note summarizes the advice Sea Change Capital Partners has given organizations as they grapple with the current situation, and the best practices they are seeing in the field.
• Free Financial Planning Tools from The Nonprofit Finance Fund: Cash Flow Tool, NFF Scenario Template, and tips on the importance of understanding your financial story and who should hear it.

What Nonprofits Need to Know

• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Crisis Communication Best Practices for Nonprofits, Prosper Strategies: The following checklist is provided to help organizations identify key communications best practices and actions surrounding coronavirus.
• A few things for nonprofits and foundations to consider in light of the Coronavirus, Vu Le, Nonprofit AF: The virus reveals several of the weaknesses of our sector and our society, shedding light on things we need to get a better grasp on. Let us use this opportunity to learn and strengthen our work.
• Preparing Your Volunteer Program for COVID-10, Minnesota Association for Volunteer Administration: Managing volunteers through this pandemic will be an important part of continuing essential service delivery in our communities. While we acknowledge this is uncharted territory, MAVA wants to offer some tips for nonprofits and volunteer engagement leaders as you prepare your organization’s volunteers for COVID-19.
• Interim Guidance for Homeless Shelters, Center for Disease Control and Prevention: This interim guidance is intended to support response planning by homeless service providers, including overnight emergency shelters, day shelters, and meal service providers.
• Workplace Home and School Guidance, Center for Disease Control and Prevention: (Printable) What every American and community can do now to decrease the spread of the coronavirus.
• Coronavirus and Stigma: (Printable) Viruses don’t discriminate, and neither should we.
• Help for Nonprofits During the Coronavirus and Uncertain Economic Times, from the Chronicle of Philanthropy: Help your nonprofit plan and prepare for the impact of the coronavirus on your workers and volunteers — and your finances.
• COVID-19 Employer Toolkit Designed Exclusively for Nonprofits: Includes Sample Emergency Family and Medical Leave Policy, Sample Emergency Paid Sick Leave Policy, Sample Work from Home Policy, and more.
• COVID-19 Pandemic and People with Disabilities: Find resources and updates from RespectAbility about the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the one-in-five people who live with a disability.
• Unemployment Services Trust: Some of the most commonly asked questions nonprofits are asking about the unemployment and workforce challenges that are likely to come, and how best to prepare for them.
• National Council of Nonprofits’ Coronavirus Resource Page: We are updating this page regularly with the latest information and resources that nonprofits can use to prepare and respond. Topics include: Caring for our communities and ourselves, Resources for funding, Resources on nonprofit operations and bottom lines, Keeping equity front and center, State-by-state resources, Advocacy for nonprofit missions, Technology tools for remote work and events.
• Probono consulting for Nonprofits during COVID-19, Taproot Foundation: From getting a quick and accurate handle on your revenue outlook to jump-starting your giving through creative fundraisers to updating HR policies to reflect our new normal, pro bono support—in as little as 60 minutes!—can help.
• Funders, this is the rainy day you have been saving up for
• Exploring Racial Economic Equity in Policy Advocacy: “If we are to achieve racial economic equity and strengthen our programmatic efforts, we need to understand the role that public policies — both past and present – play in directly or indirectly widening economic inequity between White households and households of color. By doing so, we can better understand how we can transform and reform existing policies. This will also allow us to create new policy that will meaningfully address these longstanding racial economic inequities.
• (NEW) Completing a Single Audit? Watch out for these common 6 mistakes: As a result of COVID-19 related legislation, many nonprofits will need to undertake a Single Audit for the first time. This article describes how nonprofits can prepare for a Single Audit and the pitfalls to avoid.

Hawaii-Specific Information

• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), State of Hawaii Department of Health Disease Outbreak Control Division: Current Situation, Impact in Hawaii, What can I do?, Resources, Information for Clinicians
• Coronavirus (COVID-19) Resources from Hawaiʻi Employers Council
• Emergency Meals: How to Provide Meals to Students: To prevent our students from going hungry, the Hawai‘i Child Nutrition Programs (HCNP) is looking for new organizations to become sponsors to provide meals in case schools close during the school year.
• COVID-19: Respond with Aloha: Kanu Hawai‘i has accelerated plans for the annual Volunteer Week to support an on-going virtual volunteer response to support community needs and address economic impacts related to COVID-19. Take these quick steps to sign-up, or contact volunteer@kanuhawaii.org for direct support to sign up or add your listing.
  1. Register your organization, group, or as an individual. 
  2. List your posting(s) in any of the following categories:
     • Volunteer needs by organizations and essential service providers
     • Supply or service needs
     • Donations or resources available 
     • Local business support
  3. Share your listing and the online platform with your networks and others that may be interested
• A THRIVING LĀHUI: A compiled list of resources and opportunities to help our community stay connected to the widely held goal of a thriving lāhui.
• Lili‘uokalani Trust Emergency Stabilization Financial Assistance: A resource for Native Hawaiian families and families with Native Hawaiian children in their household, who need assistance with basic needs, food, personal items and gas.
• Our Kūpuna: An organization connecting kūpuna with sponsors to getting groceries, medication and necessary supplies so they can stay home while the COVID-19 outbreak passes.
• Share & Care: A resource from One Shared Future with professional and personal resources that focus on self-care and sustainability, productivity, connectivity, and positivity—on the job and at home.
• DOH’s Behavioral Health and Homelessness Statewide Unified Response Group: Website to provide unified guidance and support to staff and providers across the behavioral health and homelessness services systems of Hawaiʻi during the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Kōkua Mau Resource List for Healthcare Professionals: Toolkits, telehealth guides, webinars, hospice information & more.
• Pop-Up Mākeke – Online Marketplace for Local Vendors: The Council for Native Hawaiian Advancement (CNHA) is launching an online Pop-Up Mākeke to support our local artists and small business owners in Hawaiʻi impacted by COVID-19. The goal: Create a centralized online marketplace for customers to have easy access to local products.
• Kūkulu Switchboard: Created in response to the COVID-19 crisis to enable timely resource exchange through a facilitated digital peer-to-peer network. Asks and Offers for resources (financial, human, or otherwise) are posted, categorized, and searchable to easily connect with needs. DEMO VIDEO, Virtual Tour.
• Commission on the Status of Women Report: While the virus itself is more fatal for men, the collateral impacts of economic shock, job loss, school closures and shelter-in-place, have been disproportionately difficult for women. Our key recommendations cover budgetary changes, how to stimulate and diversify the economy, and responses to the urgent, midterm and long-range needs of women in Hawai’i. We have also included principles and practices for a gender-responsive recovery.
• Hawaii COVID-19 Tracker — Hawaii Data Collaborative
• City and County of Honolulu COVID response page

Managing Events and Conferences

• How to Facilitate Effective Virtual Meetings, Beth Kanter: Virtual meetings that are not well designed and facilitated can also mean a loss of productivity. Aside from technical issues, the biggest problem is engagement.
• Coronavirus: What You Need to Know About Cancelling an Event and Liability Risks, Event MB Studio Team: Of course, attendee safety is the number one priority, but a canceled event can mean massive losses for both planners and their partners. If you have to cancel, will you be on the hook for compensation claims? What might your insurance cover?
• How canceled events and self-quarantines save lives, in one chart, Vox.com: The main uncertainty in the coronavirus outbreak in the United States now is how big it will get, and how fast.
• For event creators — information on the coronavirus: Info from Eventbrite on deciding to cancel or postpone your event, changing your event from live to virtual, postponing your event, tips for extra precautions, and refunding service fees.
• Coronavirus and Your Event: More tips and resources from Eventbrite.
• Reopening Guidance for Event Planning
• 5 Ways to Make Your Virtual Event More Accessible: Many attendees have cognitive, hearing, or visual disabilities that could keep them from getting the full virtual event experience. Use these strategies to ensure that your association offers an inclusive event that accommodates all participants.

Human Resources and Telework

• Remote Workers and Telecommuting Practices for Nonprofits, National Council of Nonprofits: Does your nonprofit need a written policy to address the situation? Perhaps not, but it’s most likely that at least some policies and procedures will need to be re-evaluated with remote workers in mind.
• Resources for Virtual Training Design and Facilitation, Association for Talent Development: ATD has curated several resources to help you design and deliver effective training to a remote workforce. And you’ll find courses you can take to deepen your skills on this important work.
• Optimizing Your Leadership Development Program During the Novel Coronavirus Outbreak, Association for Talent Development: Good leadership is needed now more than ever to keep business moving forward and emerge strongly from the current challenge. For leadership development, it is time to pivot, not pause.
• Pardon this Interruption: Flexibility for Families During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Things employers can realistically do to reduce the complexity and stress for people who are balancing remote work with family responsibilities during this pandemic.
• COVID-19 Employer Resources from from Simplicity HR: The latest employer-related news, planning & preparation, quarantine & employee leave.
• How to Prepare & Manage Your Non-Profit Organization for Teleworking in Light of COVID-19: Do you need to transition your workforce to work remotely in light of COVID-19 but you don’t know where to start? Kuʻulani Keohokalole of People Strategies Hawaiʻi LLC is graciously sharing the recording and PowerPoint presentation from her webinar on best practices for both managers and employees of nonprofit organizations who may need to work from home during the current crisis.
• The Ultimate Guide to Remote Work: Remote Work Myths, Practices of Successful Remote Teams, Communication Architecture, Staying Aligned, Remote Team Agreements & Protocols, Availability Protocols, Goal Setting and Feedback, and Morale.
• 5 Essential Security Tips for Working in the Age of Zoom: Practical tips that should be taken into consideration regardless of what video platform you use.
• Conquering Your Zoom Fears – Best Practices for Conducting Safe and Effective Virtual Meetings and Events: Debbie Genardini of A’o Time Consulting demonstrated that Zoom is easy to use and safe, as long as you know the right tips and tricks. Topics included: managing security on Zoom calls, how to structure the meeting to achieve your goals, tips for setting yourself up for success in Zoom. Webinar Recording, Handout, Best Practices.
• Cyber Hawaii Cyber 101 Security Tips and Resources: Cyber 101 provides small to medium-size businesses and nonprofits the resources they need to educate their employees and build resilience against cyber attacks. This page also provides information on how to prepare before a cyber attack and the next steps when an intrusion or incident occurs.
• How Video Calls Are Negatively Affecting Your Work Productivity: 5 ways that video calls are bad for organizations and why visual communication is important to fight online meeting fatigue.
• Society of Human Resources Managers COVID-19 page
• Ways To Use Zoom Breakout Rooms To Increase Meeting Engagement: How can you avoid Zoom Overload? You can make the meetings less tedious and more engaging. This can be accomplished with creative use of the Zoom Breakout Rooms for activities to support the meeting objectives.
• Cyber Hawaii Remote Work Resources: More people are working remotely due to COVID-19. This new reality raises many new cybersecurity challenges for organizations that now have a distributed workforce. The Cyber Readiness Institute created useful resources to guide and inform managers and employees about how to address the cyber challenges that remote teams face.
• Society of Human Resources Managers Return to Work Guide: Returning employees to the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic requires both vigilance and flexibility to navigate unchartered territory. HR needs to stay up-to-date and ready to respond as threats and opportunities occur.
• (NEW) Is it a HIPAA Violation to Ask for Proof of Vaccine Status?: Posted By HIPAA Journal on May 25, 2021
• (NEW) How to Identify and Address Employee Burnout guide: This resource explains how a majority of working professionals today are experiencing burnout, especially as a result of remote working and other pandemic-related challenges. It outlines signs to look for that indicate an employee or colleague may be burned out, along with strategies and external resources on how to address this issue and help workers cope with stress.

Webinars to Help You Navigate COVID-19 Issues

• Washington Nonprofits Webinars: Washington Nonprofits has posted the recordings of their webinars related to COVID-19, including What Should Nonprofits Be Thinking About?, What Am I Supposed to Do About My Fundraising Event?, and Alternatives to Meeting in Person
• Cashflow, Capital Stacks and COVID-19 Financial Resources for Nonprofit Organizations: Hawaii Community Reinvestment Corporation (HCRC) on Nonprofit Cash Flow Principles, Nonprofit Capital Stacks/Sources During Disaster and Emergency Situations, Sources of Capital Available under the CARES Act, and SBA Application Tips as a Nonprofit Organization How to Apply for a HCRC Emergency Loan Program (HELP). Slide Deck, Financial Tools Template & HCRC COVID-19 Resources Page
• Nonprofit Finance Fund Webinars (NFF will send you a link to the recording after you fill out the registration form linked below)
  • Managing through Uncertainty Part 1: Practical steps for moving from response and recovery into resilience, cash management and planning strategies, and budgeting in a time of uncertainty.
  • Managing through Uncertainty Part 2: Common financial strategies for managing in crisis, practical advice for completing a financial scenario plan, and best practices for communicating and reflecting on the financial impact of COVID-19.
• A Nonprofit’s Toolkit for Dealing with COVID-19: Gregg S. Bossen, CPA PC, president of QuickBooks Made Easy for Nonprofits, a HANO Member Benefit Partner, explains how to access CARES Act funds, which in many cases amount to forgivable loans. Slide Deck
• Practicing Wellness and Self Care in Uncertain Times: Heather E. Pierucki, LMHC from ChangeWorks LLC gives us tips to manage our wellness and self-care during these times. Recording (register to view the recording), Slide Deck.
• Rethinking Fundraising and Special Events During COVID-19: Panelists shared their lessons learned in pivoting to virtual events or finding other creative fundraising solutions when going virtual is not possible.
• Hawai‘i Public Health Institute Weekly Webinar Series: Experts and front line healthcare workers tell us how we can help mitigate the impacts of COVID-19 in our communities.
• Nonprofit Finance: Strategies for Navigating DuringCovid-19 Webinar (in collaboration with Hawaii Tourism Authority): Webinar Recording, PPP FAQs, 5.19.20 Resources, Revenue Analysis Template, HCRC HELP Financial Tools Templates, OMB Extension Memo, K Mahi Cash Flow Projection Template, Financial Storyboard Resources, Nonprofit Finance Fund Cash Flow Projection Template
• How to Ask for $ in Tough Times (this webinar recording will only be available through September 30)
• Overview of Small Business and Recovery Fund for Nonprofits – City and County of Honolulu

Free or Discounted Services

• Zoom Discounted Services for HANO Members: HANO members can receive 20% off all plans that are at least a one (1) year term.
• Microsoft, Google, and Zoom are trying to keep up with the demand for their now free work-from-home software, Vox.com: Workplace software companies like Zoom, Microsoft, and Google have offered their software for free and have taken pains to make sure they can accommodate the growing demand from users.
• LiveSafe Announces Free COVID-19 Safety Resources App, LiveSafe: LifeSafe is offering a free, limited version of its industry-leading safety and communications platform to any business, university, or healthcare institution that needs an effective means of communicating relevant information to their community during the current coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.
• Free Resources through TechSmith: Our screen recording tool, TechSmith Snagit, and our asynchronous collaboration platform, TechSmith Video Review, will be provided for free through the end of June 2020 to any organization that needs it.
• Accumulus Advisors: Accumulus will help with the SBA loan application process for a $500 fee paid with loan proceeds, and free for HANO members if not approved. Email Stacey@accumulus.co & Dayna@accumulus.co for help.

Other News and Resources

• CDC to Award Over $560 Million to State & Local Jurisdictions in Support of COVID-19 Response, US Department of Health and Human Services: “State and local health departments are on the frontlines of responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, and we are deeply grateful for their work,” said HHS Secretary Alex Azar. “CDC is distributing this new funding extremely rapidly, as called for by Congress.”
• An Appeal to Congress to Include Nonprofits in Packages for Relief and Stimulus, Nonprofit Quarterly: Why Nonprofits Must Be Included in a COVID-19 Relief and Economic Stimulus Package
• Nonprofits who Can’t Cancel: The Ones who serve those at risk for COVID-19, Nonprofit Quarterly: In the midst of a public health crisis, some are more at risk for infection than others, and as the New York Times reported yesterday, there is a perfect storm of conditions in some nonprofits that may lead to tragedy.
• CoronaTracker: Global stats, countries affected, international news, travel alerts, prevention and analytics.
• Families First Coronavirus Response Act to be Approved Shortly: This legislation takes additional smart, strategic and science-based measures to put Families First, for families’ economic security, food security & health security. (Families First Summary)
• SBA Disaster Loan Portal Now Open: Hawaii businesses may now apply for SBA’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan Assistance Program at https://disasterloan.sba.gov/ela. The loans can be used to pay fixed debts, payroll and other bills that can’t be paid due to the COVID-19 disaster’s impact.
• COVID-19: Policies to Protect People and Communities: Urban league covers many areas impacted by COVID-19 from Childcare to Equity and Inclusion to Small Business and community development.

Recent COVID-19 Related Press

• House Speaker Names Business Leaders To Coronavirus Committee, Honolulu Civil Beat: House Speaker Scott Saiki appointed some of the biggest names in Hawaii business (including Lisa Maruyama, HANO President & CEO) to a panel tasked with preparing the state for economic and financial impacts from the novel coronavirus. Click to view the documents that have been shared with the committee thus far.
• “Challenges Facing Nonprofits: Lisa Maruyama, President and CEO, Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations” – Hawaii Business Magazine
• USA Today – “‘Our life is in danger’: Unemployment hits 34% in Hawaii with no end in sight”: “Since March, the state’s unemployment rate has soared from 3% to 34%, one of the highest in the nation… The pain has been widespread, with charities encountering unprecedented requests for food and assistance and small business owners grappling with plummeting profits.” PDF.
• New Website Matches People In Need With People Who Can Help, Honolulu Civil Beat: “There’s an unprecedented urgent need among people who’ve lost their jobs or can’t pay the rent. It’s matched by a swell in the number of people who want to help. But matching charitable organizations with donors who want to fund their initiatives normally doesn’t happen fast. And the whirlpool of needs and resources can be difficult to navigate.”
• DOH Grants To Fund Virtual Visits For Kupuna: Twenty-three elderly care facilities are getting federal funds to improve communications technology for their residents.
• How This Special Legislative Committee Has Worked To Keep Hawaii’s Economy Afloat: Highlights the work of the special legislative committee appointed by House Speaker Scott Saiki. The committee was tasked with preparing the state for economic and financial impacts from the novel coronavirus, and included some of the biggest names in Hawaii business including Lisa Maruyama, HANO President & CEO.
• People In Hawaii Are Struggling. The Nonprofits That Help Them Are Too: The pandemic will force some nonprofits to close. Others will have to change and adapt to survive.
• Hawaii Sector Pulse survey seeks data from Island nonprofits: The survey, which HANO and HIR hopes will collect data from at least 250 Hawaii organizations, will gather comprehensive information from participating organizations on how the current pandemic is affecting everything from donations to operations.
• With donations down and need up, Hawaii’s nonprofits get creative to make ends meet: “The Hawaii Alliance of Nonprofit Organizations believes now more then ever not-for-profit organizations must use creative means to raise funds. Many of them are hurting, with donations down and need up.”