We would like to say a huge thank you to the 100+ EFC members who responded to our COVID-19 survey. In doing so, you helped us gain an overview of not only the bespoke initiatives but also identify possible points of collaboration and synergy.
Check out the final report.
** The content below is updated regularly . Last update – 13 October **
The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic are being felt all around us, impacting our daily lives and the way we work. On this page you can find links to information on how our membership is responding to the crisis, both internally in terms of their HR policies and externally in terms of their grantees and operational work. We have been amazed at the speed with which our members have put together a wide range of coalitions, strategies and mechanisms from research and vaccine funding to supporting the most at risk populations.
Take a look at the inspirational ideas that our members are doing and sharing with the whole world:
May
Bodossaki Foundation publish summary of Covid-19 response (12 May)
IKEA Foundation provide €3 million to Medicins Sans Frontieres to scale up medical relief in India (10 May)
Robert Bosch Stiftung launch “Science Communication for Society – Coronavirus and Beyond” supporting new communications formats to inform society on science-based findings connected to the pandemic (6 May)
March
London Community Response announce their members, including the City Bridge Trust, National Lottery Community Fund, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, and Trust for London have distributed over £50m since the beginning of the emergency (26 March)
National Lottery Community Fund launch “Bringing People Together” programme to help unite people from different backgrounds to make real change in their communities (15 March)
Fondation de France share overview of actions from first year of “All united against the virus” alliance totalling €34million (1 March)
January
Aga Khan Foundation-led consortium granted €10million by European Commission for Afghanistan’s COVID-19 response (26 January)
2020
December
Charities Aid Foundation publish “Giving Civil Society the Right Response” offering a review of government responses to COVID-19 and how they have supported, or hindered, civil society and philanthropy (16 December)
King Baudouin Foundation continue to support residential care facilities through the Solidarity Care Fund (10 December)
Jacobs Foundation pledges 500 million CHF to advance learning and education over the next 10 years (8 December)
Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Alessandria support the SOondE project, to re-launch the development of the local region post-pandemic (1 December)
November
Fondazione Carispezia provide additional support to non-profit and religious organisations active in the social and welfare fields (26 November)
Stavros Niarchos Foundation continues its Pandemic Relief Initiative with 26 new grants totalling over $9.8 million (19 November)
Fondazione Banca del Monte di Lucca help provide transparent masks for carers of deaf people in schools (15 November)
Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Ascoli Piceno provide 20,000 PCR tests for hospital workers (12 November)
October
Children’s Investment Fund Foundation launch $963,000 grant to support a green economic and financial response to COVID-19 (30 October)
Fondazione Carispezia support 32 projects by local schools, worth €315,000, to help equip them with the necessary materials to deal with the ongoing pandemic (21 October)
Charities Aid Foundation launch CAF Resilience Fund worth £20 million to help charitable organisations in England supporting those hardest hit by COVID-19 (20 October)
Carnegie UK Trust publish “Learning from Lockdown: 12 Steps to Eliminate Digital Exclusion” (19 October)
The Princess of Asturias Awards ceremony is held with social distancing and other COVID preventative measures (15 October)
Fondation Mava launch new call for proposals seeking to support nature conservation in the recovery and the reconstruction phase of the COVID crisis (5 October)
September
The MacArthur Foundation announce $25 million in grants to support an equitable recovery in the US (22 September)
The Social Observatory of ”la Caixa” Foundation launches two calls to fund projects that study the impact of Covid-19 on Portuguese society (21 September)
Novo Nordisk Foundation awarding DKK 14.4 million for 15 international initiatives seeking to mitigate the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in low- and middle-income countries (21 September)
Finnish Cultural Foundation announce additional funding to support the arts through the COVID-19 pandemic (16 September)
VolkswagenStiftung launch “Viral Zoonoses – Innovative approaches in drug development” research initiative devoted to discovering antiviral agents (9 September)
Algorithm Watch, and Bertelsmann Stiftung publish initial mapping exploring the deployment of Automated Decision-Making (ADM) ADM systems throughout Europe in response to COVID-19 (1 September)
August
Adessium Foundation supports research on the use of sewage measurements to detect corona infections (23 August)
Eurochild share compilation of resources for engaging and communicating with children about coronavirus (7 August)
July
MacArthur Foundation announce $1.6 million in grants for organisations working to ensure that technological responses to the COVID-19 pandemic protect privacy and advance equity (30 July)
The Lego Foundation and USAID provide funding to support the Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies (INEE) response to COVID-19 (22 July)
Fondation Mérieux join other organisations to launch a Massive Open Online Classroom, in French and English, on Diagnostics and Testing for COVID-19 (21 July)
Stavros Niarchos Foundation continue to contribute to COVID-19 relief efforts with further grants totalling over Grants $2.75 million (18 July)
Fonds 1818 announce they have supported more than 1 million euros in corona relief projects (13 July)
The Barrow Cadbury Trust and National Lottery Communities Fund launch COVID-19 Support Fund worth £5 million to support the migration charity sector in England (13 July)
Fondation de Luxembourg announces over 1 million euros in donations for COVID-19 projects (10 July)
Oak Foundation share detailed summary of programmes and initiatives supported during the COVID-19 pandemic (9 July)
IKEA Foundation donate €1.5 million to Start Network to support their worldwide work during the COVID-19 pandemic (9 July)
Enel Cuore donate €2 million collected from staff of the Enel Group to social solidarity initiatives (7 July)
Bozar publish insights into how the cultural sector is responding to COVID-19 around the world (3 July)
Fonds 1818 and Prins Bernhard Cultuurfonds join number of organisations to launch Kickstart Culture Fund, supporting the sector adapt to COVID-19 (3 July)
BNP Paribas Foundation share research on the interaction between climate and epidemics from 2019 Climate & Biodiversity Initiative laureates (3 July)
The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation releases a summary of the foundation’s work to stop the epidemic in Ukraine (2 July)
Gerda Henkel Stiftung publish “Coronavirus Logbook, through the lens of the humanities” a document to help better understand the widespread impact of COVID-19 and to provide a record of contemporary thinking on the crisis for posterity (1 July)
June
Calala Women’s Fund publish self-care manual self-care manual compiling resources and advice to help cope with the times (26 June)
Mott Foundation provides a series of grants to help Flint community during pandemic (25 June)
Robert Bosch Stiftung newly announced “Global Roadmap for Digital Cooperation” proposed by UN Secretary-General António Guterres (22 June)
ONCE Social Group launch emergency action plan for people with disabilities who are facing greater difficulties due to COVID-19 (22 June)
The Social Observatory of ”la Caixa” Foundation launches two calls to fund projects that study the impact of Covid-19 on Spanish society (18 June)
The National Lottery Community Fund awards £30 million in funding to community groups tackling social isolation and loneliness caused by COVID-19 (16 June)
Fondation MAVA release new online fundraising training to support the sustainability of non-profit organisations (11 June)
Ford Foundation issues $1bn in bonds – a first by a foundation, to raise money for the COVID-19 response (11 June)
Novo Nordisk Fonden launch new programme to mitigate the consequences of COVID-19 among disadvantaged people worldwide (8 June)
King Baudouin Foundation release summary of COVID-19 response, totalling €15 million to projects in Belgium, Europe and Africa (5 June)
Music In Africa release a report of the financial impact of COVID-19 on the African music sector (4 June)
MacArthur Foundation increase support for community organisations responding to COVID-19 (3 June)
May
Champalimaud Foundation form global alliance “Against Cancer and Infection” (29 May)
Global Philanthropy Project publish survey results on how LGBTI philanthropy is responding to COVID-19 globally (29 May)
The Charities Aid Foundation Coronavirus Emergency Fund grants more than £2.3 million to over 500 charitable organisations across the UK (27 May)
“la Caixa” Foundation establish a help line with support for healthcare professionals in collaboration with the Spanish government and Galatea Foundation (23 May)
Bikuben Foundation joins other foundations and Danish Ministry of Culture to launch “Together about art” an initiative supporting artists and cultural institutions to develop art experiences under the COVID-19 restrictions (23 May)
VELUX FONDEN provide DKK 5.5 million to 13 human and social data collection projects examining how the COVID-19 crisis impacts society (12 May)
Bernard van Leer Foundation share 10 ways leaders that leaders can support children and those who care for them through COVID-19 (11 May)
TUSEV publishes “The Impact of COVID-19 Outbreak on Civil Society Organizations Operating in Turkey” survey report (11 May)
Gerda Henkel Stiftung establish Corona Emergency Assistance Fund for scholarship holders (11 May)
Aga Khan Foundation work with international partners to design solutions to support children’s learning during COVID-19 (11 May)
Mama Cash establish Recovery & Resilience Fund to support grantee-partners during the pandemic (8 May)
Deutsche Telekom Stiftung publish report on homeschooling in Germany based on survey conducted in April (6 May)
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation COVID-19 reponse incorporates initial response funding, domestic and international support and additional grantmaking (6 May)
Aga Khan Foundation Portugal mobilise volunteers to translate Coronavirus information for migrant communities in Lisbon (4 May)
Bernard van Leer Foundation publishes “Resources for Caregivers and Practitioners Caring for Babies and Toddlers During Covid-19” (1 May)
April
Rinat Akhmetov Foundation donates lab equipment to Mariupol Branch of the Donetsk Regional Laboratory Center of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine to aid COVID-19 testing (30 April)
Creative Lab COVID-19 is launched by a consortium of German organisations including Allianz Kulturstiftung as a space to share ideas and start experimenting the possible scenarios of the post-COVID-19 world (30 April)
TIMA Charitable Foundation supply care homes and hospitals with Personal Protective Equipment and provide grants to support isolated and vulnerable elderly individuals in Athens (30 April)
DOTS Foundation for an Open Society move LAMPA Conversation Festival fully online for 2020 (29 April)
Gerda Henkel Stiftung approves 4.4 million euros for supporting almost 60 new research projects worldwide (29 April)
Global Fund for Community Foundations publish statement outlining their continued support for their members in the short and long term as they respond to COVID-19 (29 April)
Stavros Niachos Foundation announce the Summer Nostos Festival RetroFuture Edition taking place online (29 April)
Fondation Mava release the Green Stimulus Index, an assessment of COVID-19 stimulus in relation to climate change, biodiversity and other environmental impacts (29 April)
Sabancı Foundation donates TRY 3 million to provide medical devices and protective equipment (28 April)
Maj and Tor Nessling Foundation launch blog series on how the effects of COVID-19 on the environment (27 April)
Adessium Foundation shares details on numerous projects to reduce the impact of COVID-19 (24 April)
Finnish Cultural Foundation update grant rules to provide flexibility and support to grantees during the pandemic (23 April)
MacArthur Foundation help establish rapid response fund helping people with disabilities deal with COVID-19 (23 April)
Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso publish an emergency and solidarity plan in response to COVID-19 (23 April)
Novo Nordisk Foundation supports international COVID-19 projects in Jordan and Tanzania (23 April)
Whistleblowing International Network publishes English translation of article on whistleblowing during COVID-19 in Poland (22 April)
Deutsche Telekom Stiftung run survey looking at the homeschooling experiences of German schoolchildren aged 10 to 16 (22 April)
Stavros Niarchos Foundation gives additional $3m to Rockefeller University for COVID-19 research (22 April)
Fondazione CRT opens up Officine Grandi Riparazioni to house temporary hospital (20 April)
Europe Foundation opens call for applications to support CSOs’ initiatives for mitigating the impact of COVID-19 on their communities (20 April)
LEGO Foundation donate US$ 15 million to Education Cannot Wait for COVID-19 response (18 April)
Cultiva allocates NOK 5 million (€470,000) for COVID-19 response (17 April)
The Foundation for Polish Science dedicate additional funds under the Smart Growth Operational Programme Measure 4.4 for research on the COVID-19 pandemic (15 April)
Gates Foundation announce additional $150 million in funding towards mitigating COVID-19 (15 April)
EPIM emergency response to humanitarian needs in Greece (14 April)
Novo Nordisk Foundation and Carlsberg Foundation donate DKK 17.5 million to establish a consortium for the emergency production of ethanol for disinfectants (10 April)
KBFUS announces COVID-19 Emergency Response Funds for African countries at risk (8 April)
TUSEV issues a statement emphasising the need for increased collaboration between civil society and public administration (7 April)
Fondation Botnar celebrates World Health Day by highlighting the digital health response to COVID-19 (7 April)
Stavros Niarchos Foundation announce Global Relief Initiative of $100 million to address the impact of COVID-19 (7 April)
Wellcome Trust headquarters to become respite centre for local NHS staff (6 April)
TrustAfrica signs Call to Action on Philanthropy’s Commitment During Covid-19 (6 April)
European Cultural Foundation launches the Culture of Solidarity Fund to reinforce European solidarity in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis (6 April)
Aydın Dogan Foundation provide TRY 1 million to hospitals in Istanbul dealing with COVID-19 and a further TRY 500,000 in food supplies for the vulnerable (3 April)
National Foundation for Civil Society Development launch “Community Potential” initiative, seeking to mobilise community action post COVID-19 (2 April)
MacArthur Foundation join together with 5 other foundations to start a Journalism Fund to support Chicago-area media organisations providing information about COVID-19 (2 April)
Carnegie UK Trust launch COVID-19 and wellbeing blog series (1 April)
Fondation de Luxembourg launches Fondation COVID-19 to provide support for projects in the areas of health care, scientific research and social care (1 April)
March
John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation and the Non-profit Greek Shipowners’ Social Welfare Company SYN-ENOSIS are settng in motion an emergency grant for the procurement of 20,000 SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests (31 March)
“la Caixa” Foundation and CaixaBank launch emergency food bank campaign aimed at mitigating the effects of the COVID-19 (31 March)
King Baudouin Foundation allocate close to €5 million to support organisations dealing with COVID-19 emergency (31 March)
IKEA Foundation commit up to €10 million for COVID-19 specific programmes to support communities around the world (30 March)
TrustAfrica establishes COVID-19 Africa Solidarity Fund to support Emergency Response Units deployed in several countries across the African continent (30 March)
“la Caixa” launch express call for CaixaImpulse COVID-19, seeking projects that address the COVID-19 emergency (27 March)
Fondation Botnar commit CHF 20 million to global research efforts around COVID-19 (27 March)
Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio in Bologna invest €1.7 million in support of public health in the Bologna metropolitan area (26 March)
Croatian Philanthropy House converted into temporary, quarantined accommodation for logistics drivers in Zadar (26 March)
The Bodossaki Foundation funds the disinfection of all 7 municipal areas of Athens for the next 2 weeks (26 March)
Fondazione CRT take part in initiative between Italian and Chinese philanthropy to create aerial bridge for the transport and delivery of urgent medical supplies (26 March)
Medtronic Foundation to match all employee donations to non-profits around the world (25 March)
EMERGENCY Ong Onlus begin work on establishing a new field hospital purely for treating patients affected by COVID-19 (24 March)
Thousand Currents launch Above and Beyond Solidarity Fund supporting grassroots action against COVID-19 (24 March)
Vladimir Potanin donates one billion rubles to support the non-profit sector, and Vladimir Potanin Foundation announce the launch of new large-scale initiatives to help non-profits and their beneficiaries (23 March)
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation launches €5 million Emergency Fund (23 March)
Aga Khan Development Network announces multiple initiatives in response to the COVID-19 pandemic (23 March)
Kone Foundation launches open call to a home residency for actors working in the arts (23 March)
Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors collaborate with manufacturing companies to form Emergency Ventilator Response, manufacturing low-cost automatic resuscitators (23 March)
Enel Cuore allocate €23 million support Italian hospitals and third sector organisations on the frontline (23 March)
Fonds 1818 establish Kleinecoronahulp platform with Haella Stichting to provide quick support for citizen initiatives offering corona help (20 March)
The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine team up to release an educational series “Quarantine: Online Services for Teachers” (20 March)
Fondation de France form “All United Against Coronavirus” alliance with Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP) and Institut Pasteur to tackle to COVID-19 (20 March)
Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation offer free online access to concerts, museum and educational resources (20 March)
Stavros Niarchos Foundation announce the cancellation of the 2020 Summer Nostos Festival and SNF Conference (20 March)
Bader Philanthropies help establish community coalition and fund for COVID-19 response (20 March)
Ford Foundation and Rockefeller Brothers Fund amongst a number of American foundations to provide funds to establish the NYC COVID-19 Response & Impact Fund (20 March)
A number of Finnish foundations, including the Finnish Cultural Foundation provide millions in emergency aid for cultural sector in distress (20 March)
ONCE Social Group lend services to the manufacturing of medical supplies (20 March)
MacArthur Foundation join more than 30 local funders to support the Chicago Community COVID-19 Response Fund (20 March)
John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation announces a new donation to “Thriassio” General Hospital of Eleusis, a SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus referral hospital (19 March)
Rinat Akhmetov allocates 300 million UAH to fight against the coronavirus (19 March)
Council on Foundations launches a call to action inviting the philanthropic sector to join in supporting the people and communities hit hardest by the impacts of COVID-19 (19 March)
Carlsberg Foundations donate 95 million DKK to accelerate efforts against COVID-19 (19 March)
Fondazione CRT allocate €3 million for the purchase of medical transport and hospital equipment for the Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta regions (19 March)
The Kone Foundation are assessing providing funding to arts and research professionals whose livelihoods have been interrupted by the coronavirus pandemic (18 March)
150 (and counting) UK funders (including several EFC members) sign up to Funders Statement (18 March)
City Bridge Trust contributes £1 million to a new emergency support fund to help London’s community and voluntary organisations affected by the impact of the coronavirus (18 March)
TechSoup launched free eCourses to learn more about tools & training related to working remotely (18 March)
Fondazione Bracco offer a digital, multi-disciplinary curated arts programme (17 March)
COVID-19 Response Fund launched by WHO and UN Foundation with the support of Transnational Giving Europe (17 March)
King Baudouin Foundation US establish a COVID-19 Response Fund for Italy, facilitating donations from the public (17 March)
John S. Latsis Public Benefit Foundation makes donation of medical technology equipment to the Intensive Care Unit of the 1st University Department of Respiratory Medicine of “SOTIRIA” Thoracic Diseases General Hospital of Athens (16 March)
Fondazione CRT, together with The GovLab and ISI Foundation has promoted an international call for action aimed at increasing the availability and use of data at the service of the current global emergency (16 March)
Ford Foundation issue statement of support for grantees providing flexibility, certainty, and stability (16 March)
Conrad N. Hilton Foundation approve $600,000 in grants to organisations on the frontlines in the global response to COVID-19 (13 March)
European Cultural Foundation calls for a European Culture of Solidarity (13 March)
Amgen Foundation launch Ventura County Rapid Response Fund in collaboration with Ventura County Community Foundation and other local organisations (13 March)
Fondazione Cariplo provide €900,000 to 16 local community foundations to strengthen capacity to respond to social and health emergencies (12 March)
Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Ascoli Piceno allocate €400,000 euros to support health care professionals and o reinforce hospitals capacity (12 March)
Novo Nordisk Foundation allocates DKK 20 million for research into preparedness for and response to new viral infections (11 March)
Compagnia di San Paolo announce additional funding for COVID-19 response (11 March)
Lego Foundation turned their physical 2020 Idea Conference into a digital conference (10 March)
Wellcome Trust pledges up to $50 million to new initiative to speed development of COVID-19 treatments (9 March)
Fondazione Cariplo establish the Special Fund, worth an initial €2 million to support the people most in need, supporting associations and non-profit organisations (7 March)
Fondation Mérieux deploys diagnostic and research assets to 13 countries to help monitor the spread of COVID-19 (4 March)
February
Wellcome pledges £10 million to tackle COVID-19 epidemic (13 February)
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation dedicates additional funding to the novel Coronavirus response (5 February)
Wellcome Trust release statement urging for increased sharing of research data and findings related the novel coronavirus outbreak (4 February)
With the rapidly changing situation we have created a space where you can find all the resources, blogs, updates, news relating to COVID-19 in one central place.
