COVID-19 Situation Report Last updated on 3/20/20 ABOUT THIS REPORT Coronavirus Disease 2019, or COVID-19, is a disease contracted through SARS-CoV-2. COVID-19 causes mild ​ to severe respiratory illness with fever, cough, and difficulty breathing. COVID-19 was deemed a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020, with more than 234,000 confirmed cases in 176 countries, ​ ​ ​ ​ resulting in more than 9,840 deaths. Per the United Nations, the pandemic is expected to cause an economic ​ slowdown that will cost the global economy at least $1 trillion, and caused a $50 billion decrease in ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ worldwide manufacturing exports in February alone. Risks of contagion are increased in populations with ​ ​ pre-existing conditions and chronic health issues, including diabetes, heart disease, and lung disease, and in elderly populations. Global Philanthropy Group, which advises the world’s leading corporate and individual philanthropists, has ​ created this briefing to identify and share best practices for responding to this global pandemic. In a rapidly changing environment, we are evaluating and updating the responses of international, national and community governing bodies, communications efforts in the public and private sectors, and responses by corporations. From our research, we have aggregated key takeaways to keep the global philanthropic community informed ​ of ways to make strategic, meaningful impact in this evolving public health crisis. TABLE OF CONTENTS I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY II. COMMUNICATIONS III. PHILANTHROPIC SNAPSHOT A. What’s the current state of philanthropic giving? B. What should prospective donors consider? C. How can we support the most vulnerable groups? D. How can individuals make a difference? IV. CORPORATE RESPONSE A. How companies are leveraging core business to make a difference B. How companies are supporting employees C. How companies are engaging and supporting customers V. EVOLVED EVENT STRATEGY A. How to evolve event strategy in a pandemic B. How to evolve event strategy: digital case studies www.globalphilanthropy.com | 1 ​ ​ I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on global health and economic order is unprecedented in our lifetimes. As in any emergency situation, but particularly in one of this magnitude, communications from public and private sector entities should be accurate, clear, prioritize messages of community resiliency and remain authentic to the voice and mission of the entity. In the digital age, a challenge we face in this epidemic is directing individuals to reliable information from reputable sources that can educate and reassure the public. For governments, corporations, social media platforms, and any individuals with large online audiences, it is critical to go beyond simply sharing accurate and educational information and work to actively reduce the spread of misinformation. This is a milestone moment for philanthropy - both the scale of need and the mass mobilization of individual and institutional giving has not been seen in modern times. Among donors of all sizes, an opportunity exists to build coalitions and coordinate to ensure that funds are highly leveraged and deliver the largest possible impact. Cross-sector collaboration between institutional funders, corporations and community-based organizations will be necessary to mobilize resources like healthcare, food, financial assistance during a global crisis in which every geography has hyper-local needs, and when a timely response is critical to saving lives and stopping the spread of the virus. In addition to those populations at high-risk of contracting COVID-19, funders should consider vulnerable groups who will be disproportionately affected by the epidemic in other ways: victims of xenophobia, domestic violence survivors in quarantine, food insecure children out of school, laid-off service sector workers. All donors have the opportunity to demonstrate how they can innovate to meet their community’s needs and fulfill their respective missions. Similarly, corporations can leverage their core business to make a difference for employees and customers. At this time, the priority for large companies should be to adopt business practices that protect public health, create flexibility for employees in pay structure, labor practices and sick leave, and evolve their services and products to meet the demands of customers in a marketplace that is adapting to the current and future effects of this pandemic. All internal and external messages should emphasize how these changes to business practices will protect the health of employees and customers, as well as promote community wellness, before advertising products or services. In the digital age, the community-building power of in-person events can be translated online. While major international and national events have been canceled to reduce the spread of disease, organizers are finding ways to bring compelling events - including conferences, musical performances, mental health services, exercise classes and storytime for children - directly into individuals’ homes via social media and streaming services. Regardless of sector, industry or mission, every organization and individual can do their part to limit the effects and duration of the pandemic. It is essential for each of us to be guided by three core tenets in all that we do during this time: educate the public, deploy resources in innovative ways, and collaborate to protect and serve the vulnerable. We have an opportunity to demonstrate that creative, nimble responses to ​ crises can catalyze innovation, strengthen philanthropic missions, and build resilient community bonds. The connections we forge now - between governments, corporations, foundations, community organizations and individuals - will serve us far beyond this emergency. www.globalphilanthropy.com | 2 ​ ​ II. COMMUNICATIONS ● Facilitate access to good information ○ Follow, support and promote scientifically-backed/trusted CDC ​ ​ recommendations for staying healthy, best courses of action for ​ those who may be sick, and best practices for travel ○ Reliable, fact-checking media entities (The New York Times, The ​ ​ Atlantic, Bloomberg News) have removed internet paywalls so the public can stay informed about updates related to COVID-19 ○ UNICEF USA and Southern California Grantmakers are among ​ ​ ​ nonprofit organizations holding public webinars and digital briefings to share resources, information and disseminate plans for COVID-19 response work ● Reduce the spread of misinformation ○ UNICEF states that “misinformation during times of a health ​ crisis can spread paranoia, fear, and stigmatization. It can also result in people being left unprotected or more vulnerable to the virus” ○ Instagram directly leads those searching “COVID-19” to the CDC ​ rather than individual pages ○ Facebook has prohibited ads intended to create panic, and ​ provided credible sources like the WHO free ads and in-kind support ● Acknowledge the unprecedented nature of the situation ○ Tribeca Film Festival, founded to promote community healing ​ after the September 11, 2001 attacks on New York City, acknowledged that it has never needed to postpone an event, shedding light on gravity of situation ○ The Comedy Store noted that “this is the first time in our ​ almost 48-year history that we have done anything like this – and we do not take this decision lightly.” ● Stay true to your voice and mission in all messaging ○ Tom Hanks on testing positive for coronavirus: “We have ​ COVID-19 and are in isolation so we do not spread it to anyone else. There are those for whom it could lead to a very serious illness. We are taking it one-day-at-a-time. There are things we can all do to get through this by following the advice of experts and taking care of ourselves and each other.” ○ LUSH Cosmetics: “We believe it’s our duty as an ethical business ​ to do what we can to slow the spread of this virus and minimize the impact on our hardworking healthcare professionals. [With store closures] we can now put 100 percent of our energy into www.globalphilanthropy.com | 3 ​ ​ supporting our staff and their ever-evolving needs in the new reality we face together.” ○ David Chang, founder of Momofuku restaurants: “No one in the ​ restaurant industry could have imagined this situation with COVID-19. The hardest test we have ever faced at Momofuku. I am so grateful to the team for working around the clock to explore every possible solution. We cannot be cavalier about this. The only responsible option is to close our restaurants.” ● Share how audiences can make a difference locally/in their communities ○ LA Food Bank updates supporters daily through their website and ​ social media channels, thanking volunteers and those who have ​ donated while highlighting the existing need for both food and ​ monetary donations. III. PHILANTHROPIC SNAPSHOT WHAT’S THE CURRENT STATE OF PHILANTHROPIC GIVING? ● A new Kaiser Family Foundation tool tracks global donor funding for COVID-19 response. Pledged or ​ ​ distributed funds currently exceed $8.3 billion. ○ 9% of funding comes from foundations, nonprofits and businesses ○ 91% of funding comes from donor countries (US leads with $1.29 billion), the World Bank ($6 billion), and other multilaterals ● The Corporate Aid Tracker from the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation compiles private sector ​ ​ philanthropic commitments (publicly available and company-submitted) to support COVID-19 response. ● Foundations, Nonprofits and Businesses