COVID-19: Resources for Nonprofits

(Updated 4/2/2020)

Table of Contents

• Resources for Your Employees
• 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

Resources for Your Employees

• Kama‘aina Kids to Provide Emergency Child Care: Kama‘aina Kids is opening up seven preschool sites on O‘ahu, Maui, and Hawai‘i Island to children (K-5) of essential employees who do not have access to child care. Limited space is available.
• YMCA Grab and Go Meal Sites: Five “grab-and-go” meals distribution sites will be offered during the Hawaii public school’s extended spring break by the YMCA of Honolulu in partnership with Kapiolani Community College, the Hawaii Appleseed Center and other community groups, businesses and funders.
• Hawaiʻi Afterschool Alliance Map: Check out their updated map to find a meal site or child care center closest to you.
• DLIR Unemployment Claim: The Department of Labor and Industrial Relations (DLIR) Hawaii’s Unemployment UI website now has a form for people to complete. Two phone numbers are now open to help process unemployment claims:
  • To schedule an appointment for over-the-phone applications: (808) 762-5752
  • Password reset: (808) 762-5751
  • The local unemployment offices remain closed to walk-in and in-person services.
  • Individuals may file online between 6:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (HST), Monday to Friday or between 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. (HST) on weekends and holidays.

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.
• Administrative Relief for Recipients and Applicants of Federal Financial Assistance Directly Impacted by the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19), Executive Office of the President, Office of Management and Budget: OMB has identified the following agency actions to relieve short term administrative, financial management and audit requirements without compromising Federal financial assistance accountability requirements.
• 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.
• 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.
• “Ask the Expert” service: BoardSource experts are available to field and address questions that you might be facing within your specific organization. This service is typically a “members-only” resource, but during this crisis, it is open to all, regardless of member status.
• Your COVID-19 Fundraising Event Toolkit: A team of experts from Greater Giving, The AV Department, Artisan Auctions and Swaim Strategies have come together to provide you a variety of resources. Our goal is to help you continue to fundraise.
• 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.

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
• Are You Prepared for COVID-19? Hawaii Employers Council: Be sure the decisions you make consider not just health risks, but also employee morale, public relations, and the risk of claims under the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), Title VII, the Family Medical Leave Act, and other relevant laws.
• Fundraising with Aloha during Uncertain Times, Jennifer Oyer, Community Impact Advisors: Here are 3 simple things you can do RIGHT NOW to show your Aloha and to Mahalo your donors so that they stick with you through the good times…and the bad.
• House Speaker Names Business Leaders To Coronavirus Committee, Honolulu Civil Beat: House Speaker Scott Saiki appointed some of the biggest names in Hawaii business to a panel tasked with preparing the state for economic and financial impacts from the novel coronavirus.
• 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.
• 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.
• 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
• Keep Hawaii Cooking: Central Pacific Bank Foundation will reimburse anyone in Hawaii for 50% of the cost of a takeout, delivery, drive-through, or curbside pick-up meal (up to $100) in order to support our local restaurants, their employees, and our hard-hit community to help #KeepHawaiiCooking. CPB Foundation will keep the promotion going until $100,000 is given back to the community.
• 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.
• (NEW) Response to COVID19: Islander Institute provides insights and graphic designs for others to use.

Managing Events and Conferences

• The Commonsense Guide to Coronavirus for Events and Conferences, The Bizzabo Blog: Here’s how to confidently communicate with your attendees, sponsors, and partners. Featuring examples from brands like Adobe, Google, and Qualtrics.
• Get Your Mass Gatherings or Large Community Events Ready for Coronavirus Disease 2019, CDC: This interim guidance is intended for organizers and staff responsible for planning mass gatherings or large community events in the United States.
• 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.

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.
• Powtoon’s Ultimate Guide to Remote Working: Powtoon wants to give you everything you need to make your remote working effective, productive, and engaging!
• 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.
• U.S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OFFERS GUIDANCE FOR PREPARING WORKPLACES FOR CORONAVIRUS, US Department of Labor: OSHA today published “Guidance on Preparing Workplaces for COVID-19” to help companies respond in the event of coronavirus in the workplace.
• 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: 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.

Webinars to Help You Navigate COVID-19 Issues

• Coronavirus – What am I supposed to do about my fundraising event?, Washington Nonprofits (FREE, recorded March 9): We can’t give you advice about your individual event, but we can share some of the steps you might take to make an informed decision. We’ll also share some ideas about what to do if you cancel your event—how will you replace that revenue?
• The Families First Coronavirus Response Act: What Employers Need to Know: This webinar from Hawaii Employers Council will highlight the major provisions of this new law. Learn what is required and what the law does and doesn’t do for employers and employees.
• 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
• (NEW) Save Hawaii Jobs and Businesses – Resources for Employers: The basics of the CARES Act and how employers can use it. PDF & Webinar Recording.
• (NEW) Federal Coronavirus Relief Bills: What Do They Mean for Nonprofits?: Webinar presented by the National Council of Nonprofits. Slide Deck & Webinar Recording.
• (NEW) 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.

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.
• (NEW) 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)
• Kōkua Mau Resource List for Healthcare Professionals: Toolkits, telehealth guides, webinars, hospice information & more.
• 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.
• 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.
• (NEW) Assistance for Certain Homeowners and Renters: Senator Schatz provides guidance on mortgage payment forbearance, foreclosure relief and the eviction moratorium for tenants in properties with federally-guaranteed loans or participating in federal housing programs.