How You Can Support Nonprofits Responding to COVID-19

Nonprofits around the world are heroically responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, working day and night to provide our communities with food, shelter, healthcare, education, and other much needed forms of kindness and security. As these organizations manage a new, huge demand for their services, they also face diminishing resources due to scrapped programs, loss of volunteer events, and cancelled fundraisers. As these nonprofits valiantly step up to serve our communities, it’s crucial that we show up to support them.

With crowd-sourcing help from our network of nonprofits, Taproot Foundation has built a list of social good organizations responding to community needs related to the COVID-19 pandemic. We ask that you donate what you can to these amazing organizations – whether it be through virtual volunteering, social media advocacy, sending supplies, or by making a financial contribution. 

Food Access

• Hour Children, Inc., Queens, New York. Hour Children’s food pantry provides Long Island City residents with access to healthy, fresh produce and nutrition courses. Support their coronavirus emergency response efforts by volunteering locally to deliver meals or collect food donations, donating non-perishable food items, or making a financial contribution.
• California Association of Food Banks, Oakland, CA. A network of 40+ food banks located throughout California, CAFB is dedicated to making sure that community members have consistent and safe access to nutritious food. Support the work of all food banks in their network through a monetary donation or finding a local volunteering opportunity.
• DC Central Kitchen, Washington DC. In response to school closures, DC Central Kitchen is operating to-go meal centers at public schools around DC and 11 other mobile feeding centers for city residents. Financial donations are the best way to immediately assist their work. You can also support their local restaurant partners by purchasing online gift-cards.
• Northern Illinois Food Bank, Geneva, IL. The Northern Illinois Food Bank’s network of agencies is committed to providing children, the elderly, and other community groups hit hardest by food insecurity with easy, safe access to food throughout the COVID-19 outbreak.  Volunteer locally to distribute meal kits, participate in their virtual 5K, donate shelf-stable food, or make a financial gift.
• Citrus County Blessings, Lecanto, FL. 72% of Citrus County’s public school students participate in the free or reduced lunch program, while Blessing’s weekend food packs help fill in the gaps. While schools are closed during the pandemic, your donation will help them continue delivering emergency meal kits to needy students.
• Foodshare, Hartford, CT. Foodshare is working tirelessly to provide community members with nutritious meals and groceries during this crisis through their food pantry and Mobile Foodshare sites. They have an urgent need for local volunteers to participate in food rescue and sorting.
• San Francisco-Marin Food Bank, Bay Area, CA. The SF-Marin Food Bank is working to ensure that no Bay Area resident goes hungry. Faced with rising community need during these difficult times, they have immediate needs for financial donations and in-person volunteers at their mobile food bank sites.
• City Harvest, New York City, NY. With rising unemployment, City Harvest and their network of NYC-based food banks are being turned to now more than ever. Support their work through a financial or food donation, volunteering at their emergency food distribution sites, or by getting crafty through their Draw Hope to Drive Hope activity.

Housing & Homelessness

• Hamilton Families, San Francisco, CA. Hamilton Families is working to ensure uninterrupted service in their shelters and transitional housing centers while maintaining a strict cleansing protocol. Support their important work through a financial donation or by purchasing items off of their Amazon wish-list.
• Student Homelessness Initiative Partnership (SHIP), Frederick, MD. SHIP works hands-on with homeless youth, caring for their immediate needs and supporting their education. The inability to be physically present for their youth during this pandemic is uncharted territory for SHIP. They need immediate support buying gift-cards for food, toiletries, and other necessities for their young community, as well as donations of phones or hot-spots.
• Union Station Homeless Services, Los Angeles, CA. Union Station is a group of human services providers committed to helping formerly homeless individuals and their families rebuild their lives. In the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, they need immediate financial support to keep their housing sites up and running. You can also support their residents through gift-cards for groceries or by donating toiletries, PPE, and shelf-stable foods.
• Preble Street, Portland, ME. A home to hundreds of people, Preble Street offers solutions to community members struggling with homelessness, hunger, and poverty. They are dedicated to seeing people through this crisis without closing their doors, but need your immediate help boosting program awareness on social media, donating, or volunteering locally at their donation center.

Social Services

• American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, United States. Throughout the isolation and uncertainty this crisis has surfaced, AFSP is hard at work providing resources and aid to those who are struggling. Volunteer virtually with their local chapters or make a monetary gift to support their important work.
• St. Petersburg Free Clinic, St. Pete, FL. The St. Petersburg Free Clinic provides community members with shelter, food, and medical and dental care. During the current crisis, in addition to financial support to keep their shelters open, they are also looking for local and virtual volunteers to assist with food kit delivery, admin tasks, and fundraising.
• Crisis Text Line, Global. Crisis Text Line offers free, 24/7 support for people in crisis. Join their organization as a volunteer Crisis Counselor or make a financial donation to help them manage the increase in demand for their services.
• Step Up for Mental Health, Chicago, IL. Step Up has set up an emergency response fund to provide immediate relief to community members in need of medical supplies, food, and mental health resources.
• Harbor House, Orlando, FL. The Harbor House of Central Florida offers safety and support to survivors of domestic violence. For those with unsafe homes, they are left especially vulnerable during the current shelter-in-place orders. Harbor House needs your immediate financial support in order to continue their life-saving work.
• Hands On Hartford, Hartford, CT. Hands On Hartford puts “caring into action” through programs like their community food bank, supportive housing facilities, volunteerism programs, and much much more. Support their continued work during this challenging time through a financial gift.
• El Centro de la Raza, Seattle, OR. Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, El Centro de la Raza has been committed to safely continuing as many of their services as possible, like at-home meal delivery for homebound community members and conducting census outreach. A financial gift is the best way to immediately support their work.

Human Rights

• Casa de Paz, Aurora, CO. Casa de Paz provides housing, meals, and emotional support to families separated by immigrant detention. Because of the COVID-19 outbreak, Casa de Paz has set up an emergency fund to purchase calling cards for detainees since family visits are no longer permitted.
• Volunteers of Legal Services (VOLS), New York, NY. In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, VOLS’ legal pro bono services are supporting those left most vulnerable – small business owners, seniors, immigrants, the recently incarcerated, and veterans. Spread the word to people who may need their services or donate to help them continue this important work.

Senior Care

• Encore Community Services, New York, NY. Encore’s senior center provides New York City residents with enrichment opportunities ranging from yoga to computer classes. In the wake of COVID-19, support their tireless work delivering food kits to elderly community members through a financial donation.
• Visiting Neighbors, New York, NY. Visiting Neighbors pairs seniors up with volunteer ‘neighbors’ for companionship, grocery shopping, and physical activity. During the coronavirus pandemic, they are continuing grocery shopping and delivery services but need immediate donations of face masks, wipes, hand sanitizer, and non-latex gloves to continue their vital work.
• The Stanley M. Isaacs Center, New York, NY. The Isaacs Center focuses on providing support to low-income children, families, and seniors. In light of the spread of the COVID-19 virus, they are continuing their at-home food delivery and virtual counseling sessions with homebound seniors. Support this essential work through a financial donation or sending supplies like hand sanitizer, gloves, and face masks.
• ElderSource, Jacksonville, FL. ElderSource is a one-stop shop for seniors and people with disabilities for information on medical care, insurance, and independent living. During this uncertain time, they are searching for virtual volunteers to join their team of insurance counselors.

Education

• Communities in Schools, United States. Communities in School’s nation-wide network supports students in and out of the classroom. During this time of uncertainty, they’ve asked supporters to contribute to an emergency fund set up for the families of students who’ve been impacted by the crisis.
• Help Educate & Leadership Program (HELP), Claremont, CA. HELP provides students from underserved communities with mentors and tutoring services. In the wake of the COVID-19 virus, they seeking remote pro bono support in taking their program virtual. Check out their open Taproot Plus projects in Google Ads, SEO, and website development.

Arts & Culture

• Arts Greensboro, Greensboro, NC. With countless events and performances cancelled due to the need for social distancing, creative professionals are struggling. Arts Greensboro provides visual artists, musicians, actors, and dancers with much needed financial support during this challenging time.
• The Music & Culture Coalition of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA. MCCNO is committed to helping all members of the cultural community access the relief they need, especially in times where musicians, street performers, artists, and other culture bearers are unable to work. Donate to MCCNO’s COVID-19 relief fund. 
• Hope Center for the Arts (HOPE), Irvine, CA. HOPE brings arts and music opportunities to people with learning disabilities.
• New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, New Orleans, LA. In light of COVID-19, they’re presenting archived recordings of Jazz Fest musical performances as “Jazz Festing in Place”. Aside from keeping up local morale, this festival is also the bread and butter for hundreds of food and craft vendors, as well as musicians. Listen to the recordings or donate to support their work.

Community Development

• Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Bay Area, CA. The Silicon Valley Community Foundation has organized a regional COVID-19 response fund for individuals and families in the 10-county Bay Area who have been impacted financially or medically by this crisis. Contribute to the fund here.
• Astoria Mutual Aid Network, Queens, NY. A network of neighbors, Astoria Mutual Aid Network is searching for local volunteers to help them run errands for seniors and other at-risk community members like picking up medication, dog walking, and other forms of kindness.
• Hartford Foundation for Public Giving, Hartford, CT. In order to rapidly deploy resources to community members in need, the Hartford Foundation has set up a COVID-19 Response Fund. Make a contribution here.

Taproot will be highlighting these nonprofits over the coming weeks in the hopes of driving critical support and advocacy their way. To give back to organizations like these and many more amazing, sign up to become a pro bono volunteer on Taproot Plus.