The global Coronavirus pandemic could be the biggest crisis we will ever experience. The current situation has the potential to not only disrupt the status quo, but also to forever change our social, economic and political systems. This scenario requires that big plans be put on hold, that we focus on being present and think about doing what feels right at this precise moment. As guest editors of June 2020 edition from the Alliance's about the relationship between philanthropy and social movements, we couldn't help but wonder about financing and forms of organization in times of social distancing.
In the nonprofit sector, as in-person interactions increasingly decline, virtual spaces have been expanding to compensate and offer new ways to create collective dynamics. Some issues, such as rising carbon dioxide emissions and atmospheric pollution, appear to have improved somewhat as the economy has slowed and demand for travel has halted. Other issues, such as threats to civil rights, potentially have their situation undermined, as some governments resort to authoritarian measures – such as wiretapping and telephone surveillance – to face the crisis. In turn, the poorest and most vulnerable populations tend to be even more affected by inequality and the effects of the crisis, which, in turn, tends to further increase the gaps in inequality itself.
Right now, social movements and community organizing mechanisms are more important than ever. In places where social and health systems are crumbling, mutual aid systems are being established and need to react quickly. In some places, activists are mobilizing their networks and communities to ensure that the opportunities arising from this historic moment are not forgotten and that previous demands (such as universal basic income) and practices (family and community agriculture) are translated to adjust to the current situation (pandemic emergency basic income, massive expansion of local supply chains). In other spaces, local organization systems are joining forces to try to support vulnerable populations by reaching out to populations who do not have the resources and support networks that we, who are privileged, have, and by playing crucial roles of solidarity in this moment dominated by fear.
There is a window of opportunity for foundations and owners of great wealth to be catalysts that help build a future capable of taking advantage of this moment to tackle some of the environmental and social problems that, until a few weeks ago, seemed so impossible to address at a systemic level. The Coronavirus may have shaken up the overall system sufficiently to allow this to happen. So, rather than halting operations to “return to normal after the crisis passes,” foundations must realize now that this crisis will not pass with just several weeks of social distancing. Indeed, there are several positive signs by some Foundations about changes in their practices, but we need this to be a general long-term trend.
Researchers are already predicting several months of emergency situations with repeated rises and falls in the infection rate curves, in addition to long restrictions applied to international travel depending on the new curves and their relationship with the economic and social effects associated with them. In this scenario, if foundations and large donors wait for their investment portfolios to generate returns again so that they can be used in plans established pre-crisis, the chosen course of action will not be the correct one.
This is a call to foundations to use their privileged position as those not severely affected by the current crisis: forget your long-term strategy, be in the present, look around and spend your social capital to support a variety of civil and community actions that are happening. Be flexible with your existing grantee partners whose activities will be severely impacted but who need your work even more at this time. This is also the time to make new unrestricted grants to your trusted partners to support them so they can navigate the situation together with their communities in the best way possible for them. Think about how to support activists/community groups and others who are doing important work in places where the most vulnerable and marginalized will be hit hardest. Reach out to movements – many already have intricate outreach systems to their communities and audiences – to see how you can help/support the efforts they are making in the face of this pandemic.
But don't stop providing emergency support. Look for groups and activists who are working to turn the crisis into an engine for positive change, who are already building online and other communities, micro-solidarity and mutual aid groups, those individuals and groups who are shaping the discourse so that everyone Let's use this situation as an opportunity to reevaluate who we are and what really matters.
Authors: Romy Krämer, Graciela Hopstein and Halima Mahomed guest editors of June 2020 edition from the Alliance about social movements and philanthropy.
Text published on March 26th on the Alliance Magazine website https://www.alliancemagazine.org/blog/social-movements-in-times-of-pandemic-the-moment-for-philanthropy-has-arrived/
