Focus on the Basics

We are chartering unknown territory here with the spread of and reaction to COVID-19. So much is outside of our control which can feel overwhelming and spike our anxiety. I believe it is critical that we focus on what we can control and on how we are interconnected. I applaud the quick response of so many that have leveraged their resources and compassion to assist others - check out #coronakindness and 50 ways companies are giving back as highlighted by Forbes for examples and inspiration.

As we proceed with our philanthropic efforts and practices of kindness, I strongly hope that we focus on the basics – the basic needs we all need to survive and ultimately thrive. This is not a time to compete for PR attention, create complex steps to access support or make commitments out of touch with the front lines of our communities in the name of "innovation." Now, more than ever, is a time to add more seats to your table for those on the front lines of our communities. It is a time to talk less and replace judgment with curiosity. We need to be inclusive and intentional with our actions and willing to quickly pivot, iterate and evolve when our intentions don't match our impact.

I don't know any other way to explain this need than to directly say - lives depend on our actions! We have the resources and ability to feed the hungry, house the homeless and empower each other to discover and leverage the greatness within. It is a choice that we make to meet or not meet these basic needs.

In the spirit of sharing solutions, I offer the following to support blueprints for change. It is not the responsibility of one sector, organization or individual to meet basic needs – it is our collective responsibility.

• Invest Unrestricted Resources to Proven Practices – Invest unrestricted resources with nonprofits that have a history of meeting basic needs and transparently reporting their successes and challenges. Trust in their leadership, operations and programming.
• Engage Community Advisory Teams - Establish a community advisory team comprised of diverse sectors plus residents (youth and adults). Look to them for guidance on directing philanthropic investments of time, talent and treasure to community-prioritized needs. Facilitate meetings virtually and task members to gather additional perspectives from their respective networks. Collaboratively set priorities, expectations and target outcomes -- and move swiftly by trusting sprint teams to execute, report and pivot where necessary.
• Challenge People to Use Their Greatness for Good - Randomly select a group of diverse employees and/or community members and send them a “Together We Rise” challenge - a challenge for them to use a small grant (i.e. $250, $500, $1000 or more) to support people that they know who have been impacted by COVID-19. Selected employees and community members blog about and post updates on their experience, inspiring others to take action. This connects resources to immediate needs on the front lines of our communities that can go unnoticed.
• Trust & Invest in Teams - Invite employees and community members to form giving teams focused on meeting basic needs – simple criteria could include having a certain number of team members, contributing or raising a certain baseline amount and elevating awareness and education on basic needs through online content. Once giving team members raise their baseline amounts, they unlock matching grants to support their solutions.
• Invest in Students Leaders Leading Today - Invite students to submit project ideas connecting education with service (service-learning) that meets basic needs, select the top 10 ideas submitted and invite employees and community members to vote on their top picks in 24-48 hour sprints. Award grants to the projects based on the voting results and collaborate with the students on project implementation by mobilizing employee and community volunteers plus posting updates on the projects as they unfold to inspire further action. Alternatively, select projects submitted weekly to receive funding to fast track the advancement of student-led solutions.

What ideas do you have to focus on the basics – the basic needs of our communities?