St. Joseph Community Partnership Fund

Orange County Community Resilience Fund Evaluation Report 28 Smaller organizations are greatly threatened. Small organizations always operate under tight conditions, and the increased costs and decreased revenues they face may be pushing them to the edge of solvency. These organizations were less likely to receive relief funds or government assistance, had fewer reserves to draw on, and were less able to cut costs. Many will close if dramatic steps are not taken, which will have many impacts. The clients that are supported by these organizations, which sometimes include niche populations with specific needs, will lose their services. Larger organizations and government agencies which rely on these nonprofits as a distribution and service system will find their own networks crippled. Also, as smaller organizations are more likely to have leaders of color and younger executives, both the equity and development of the nonprofit sector leadership will be lessened if these nonprofits close. Safety net organizations have faced unprecedented increases in demand. While many small food pantries have temporarily or permanently closed, thanks to philanthropic, donor, and government support, most organizations have been able to handle the demand. However, they now face a decline in that support at the same time as demand promises to continue or increase. Ensuring these organizations are able to continue their services is paramount. Organizations that provide mental health services are going to be facing a dramatic increase in demand as well. As stress, depression, and anxiety persist and grow, organizations that can tend to the mental health, as well as physical health, needs of the community will become more important than ever. As some mental health challenges can lead to negative outcomes such as substance abuse, economic crisis, self-harm, domestic violence, and homelessness, focusing on mental health has an invaluable prevention aspect, making it a valuable investment that will save costs in the long-term. As has been commented many times in the national conversation, "reopening" is not possible without an intentional focus on child care and schools. With most Orange County schools opening remotely or with part time instruction, and fears of up to 40% of early childhood care and education locations closing, many parents will be stuck with a decision between watching their children or going to work. In multi-generational or crowded households, sending a child to a site that does not have strong safety protocols means risking spreading COVID more widely or exposure for a high-risk individual in the household. Furthermore, the effects of lost educational, co-curricular, and social programming for our children risks slowing development, and for teens, may create an opening for negative behavior. Addressing these crises will require coordinated effort to support safe, high quality options for youth of all ages. While these sub-sectors may be priorities, other focal areas are important and all face tremendous challenges. The development of sub-sector focused funds such as the OC Arts and Culture Fund fill an important gap, as they allow donors and funders to direct their support to areas that are aligned with their funding philosophy. While the concentration of philanthropic funds into large funds provided efficiencies and supported strategic giving, the second wave of giving has room for more individualized initiatives. The philanthropic community is uniquely positions to encourage coordination between nonprofits and to provide technical assistance to the sector. The nonprofit sector tends to balance between collaboration and competition, as organizations all strive for the same resources. In a time of scarcity, there is a nature tendency towards more completion and isolation. The successful pandemic response of the nonprofit sector has been founded on adaptability and innovation. But many of those nonprofits developed their responses in a vacuum, without communicating with other nonprofits. There is great value in further pulling those nonprofits together, and the philanthropic sector is positioned to provide it. An intentional focus on collaboration could encompass the following concepts • How collaboration between organizations can enhance the collective response to COVID-19 • Innovative fundraising strategies such as virtual fundraisers

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