One neighbor's guide to local community support

Since COVID-19 started to spread across the world, my number one priority has been the health and safety of my family — and my extended family: the Okta team. One of our first big steps was closing our offices and transitioning to a fully remote workforce. What became immediately apparent is that while I’m privileged to be able to work and lead Okta from home, many of my neighbors don’t have that luxury. 

For some time now, my family and I have been concerned about the viability of our local communities, and we’ve put that concern to work, figuring out how we could leverage our resources to support organizations where we live, work, play and shop. We put together and executed what I’ve called a “personal stimulus plan,” which might be helpful for anyone considering how to do the same. Our aim was to give with max impact and expediency to local communities and resources in this time of need.  

Below is a write-up of what we did, as point-and-click as we could make it.   

1. Give more to the nonprofits you already support: For us, that meant increasing our giving to Tipping Point Community and the GreenLight Fund. We have been supporters of these organizations for some time and believe strongly in their missions, approaches, execution and leadership. Tipping Point committed to getting money out the door to non-profits in two weeks — and they did.
2. Support local COVID-19 response and relief: There are many great local community response funds, such as Alameda County’s COVID-19 CORONAVIRUS REGIONAL RESPONSE FUND by Community Initiatives. The  Silicon Valley Community Foundation makes it easy to support other Bay Area counties’ relief and response funds as well. 
3. Identify new needs that speak to you personally: As the parents of three, education has always been a priority for my wife and I, and we identified a strong need to support local children no longer able to go to school. Your neighborhoods and towns likely have set up funds, like this one in Oakland. Or you can donate to outdoor programs (such as Oakland’s Joaquin Miller Park, Oakland Parks and Rec, East Bay Regional Parks, or California State Parks). We also supported the Oakland Elizabeth House, a local nonprofit, which provides a residence for women with children who have experienced homelessness, violence, and addiction. We had several meals delivered by furloughed drivers from a local female-owned catering company to the Elizabeth House — supporting both the shelter and businesses in need.  
4. Continue supporting the businesses you frequent: Make donations to or purchase prepaid gift cards for the restaurants, bars, bookstores, theaters, shops, legacy/iconic locations you typically support, as well as arts organizations and food banks/delivery programs. We pulled together local business listings, names, addresses, and emails for the places we shop and eat. We focused on restaurants we frequent, mom and pop or legacy businesses that may not make it without community support; nonprofits that are making a big impact specifically to COVID and also overall; as well as arts organizations that are struggling right now. 

In the Jewish religion the concept of tzedakah or charity is an ethical obligation, and anonymity is valued. To date, my wife and family and I have been private when it comes to giving, but what we’re experiencing is unprecedented, and if our efforts can help others considering how to best support their communities, then this post will be worth sacrificing some of that privacy.

Please let me know if you have any questions, and above all, stay safe, healthy and supportive of one and other. We’re all in this together.