COVID-19 Relief: Will Foundations and Corporations Repeat the Mistakes of 9/11?

For companies, foundations and philanthropists rushing to help those directly impacted by COVID-19 (which is exactly what they should be doing), let me offer a few words of caution: Take a lesson from, and remember what happened, when our nation witnessed a similar response following the 9/11 attacks in 2001.

In the weeks and months following the 9/11 tragedy, many of the nation's top donors, prominent philanthropists, celebrities, and individuals, gave billions to support 9/11-related causes. There was certainly nothing wrong with that. But many did so by redirecting funds away from longstanding nonprofits they had supported for years. This dramatic and sudden shift in funding devastated many nonprofits, especially those at the community-level, which saw their contributions suddenly dry up because they weren't linked directly to the 9/11 tragedy.

It turns out that this phenomenon happens whenever there’s a major national crisis or disaster. I guess it is true when people say, "No good deed goes unpunished."

This time around, let's hope that companies, foundations, philanthropists, and individuals remember the lessons of 9/11 and are careful to balance their response to COVID-19, doing what they can to assist in the immediate relief efforts, but also not turning their backs completely on the nonprofits they’ve traditionally supported: Charities that may depend on their support more than ever.

Otherwise, whatever good they might do for the victims of COVID-19 could be cancelled out by the harm they inflict upon others.