A Fight for Survival: Our May Issue on Nonprofits Coping in a Pandemic

Plus, on #GivingTuesdayNow, start unleashing donor-advised funds (opinion), and grantees need to decide where money goes (opinion) [Philanthropy Today] Are you working remotely? Here’s how to maintain your premium site-license access to the Chronicle. If you’re used to having access to the Chronicle when you’re at work, you can keep that access when you’re at home. Read this [Site License FAQ]( to see how. It’s easy to do and gives you access wherever you are. On Our May Cover: A Fight for Survival [Image]( ALAMY The economic freefall touched off by the pandemic has hit nonprofits hard. In our [special report,]( we explore how organizations are [responding]( by seeking loans, figuring out the fairest ways to lay off staff, and coping with absent board members. And we examine the pivots [nonprofits]( and [foundations]( are making. See everything in the [new issue,]( posted today. ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( Opinion [On #GivingTuesdayNow, Start Unleashing Donor-Advised Funds]( By Rob Reich and Mohit Mookim Billions of dollars are poised to go to charitable causes working on the front lines and in every community — if only more donors with advised funds would act. Letter to the Editor [Flexibility for Grantees Is Not Enough. Let Them Decide Where the Money Goes]( Grant makers should reconsider who develops their strategies and who allots money, say two longtime advocates of participatory grant making. Dispatches [Change Is Too Rapid in Covid-19 Era to Tie Nonprofits’ Hands With Old Rules]( By Lisa Pilar Cowan As in every disaster, nonprofits during the pandemic have been inundated with dollars to use for specific purposes. But too often that assumes today will be like yesterday — and that is now less true than ever. Paid for and Created by GolfStatus [Five Advantages Of Using An Event Website For Golf Fundraisers & How Nonprofits Can Get A Free One]( From making communications and marketing more streamlined to connecting with donors on a personal level, GolfStatus’s Golf for Good program works with nonprofits to help golf fundraisers save time and resources while keeping processes easy for organizers, volunteers and sponsors. Nonprofit News From Elsewhere Harvard University’s links to the late Jeffrey Epstein are an ethical low point that need a broad airing. In addition to having access to some researchers and offices, the billionaire sex offender was awarded a fellowship in 2005, though he lacked any of the usual qualifications. The award was renewed the next year, even though he had done no academic work. Rather, he had given the department chair $200,000 in research grants a few years earlier. Epstein also raised $9.5 million to support the work of two other academics, even after he was convicted of sex offenses in 2008. The details of his relationship with Harvard were fleshed out in a report that the university released this week. (Opinion: [Washington Post]( Some arts groups are suing their insurance companies for rejecting their claims for pandemic-related losses. At issue in many cases is a clause that requires “direct physical loss or damage,” such as a fire or water-main break, for a payout. Some lawyers are arguing that Covid-19 is a physical threat, as it lingers on surfaces. Other arts institutions have specific coverage for communicable diseases, and some policies for theater groups do not require a physical loss. Without coverage, some arts groups will fold, but insurance industry representatives say these payouts would bankrupt the industry. ([New York Times]( Facing a shortfall of up to $53 million over the next two years, NPR is cutting staff pay and benefits. Employees earning more than $80,000 a year will have their salaries cut on a sliding scale of up to 9 percent through September 30. The nonprofit will also stop contributions to its employee retirement fund and is offering furloughs. The deficit is due to a drop in donations, and NPR is urging its member stations to step up fundraising from major donors and foundations. ([Bloomberg]( More News How to Trigger $200 Billion in Coronavirus Aid at No Cost to Taxpayers — Tap foundations. (Opinion: [USA Today]( Nonprofit Delivers Essential Goods During the Global Crisis ([Technical.ly]( Gates Foundation Commits $50 Million to Covid-19 Vaccine Effort ([GeekWire](. Plus: False Claim: Gates Foundation Has a “Center for Global Human Population Reduction” Sign ([Reuters]( Americans Are Lining Up for Food. What Is Team Trump Doing? (Opinion: [New York Times]( Coronavirus Shows Us It’s Time for Change, Not Charity ([Worth]( Education The ‘Public’ in Public College Could Be Endangered ([New York Times]( Brentwood School Returns Federal Aid After Trump and Mnuchin Criticism ([Los Angeles Times]( Arts and Culture Inside Zoom’s Exclusive A-List, Invite-Only, Money-Raising-Juggernaut Quarantine Party ([Los Angeles Times]( The Unsung Agency Working to Maintain Museum and Library Access ([Art Newspaper]( Zoos Use Social Media to Delight and Raise Money ([Associated Press]( What Everyone Else Is Reading [Campaigns Urge Donors to Give Away the Money They’re Saving During the Pandemic]( Efforts are asking people to redirect expenses saved by not commuting, eating out, or leaving tips. (PREMIUM) ADVERTISEMENT [advertisement]( [Foundation Requests for Proposals for Covid-19 Relief (May 4)]( A compilation of RFPs for nonprofit groups focused on health care, entrepreneurship, food insecurity, human services, journalism, the arts, and more. [How the 25 Biggest Grant Makers Are Responding to the Covid Crisis]( The Chronicle examined whether foundations plan to give more this year, how much they have committed in emergency funds, and more. (PREMIUM) [A University President Sprang a Student From Internment Camp; His Heirs Give Back (Gifts Roundup)]( Plus, Craig Newmark gives $1 million to the Anti-Defamation League to combat hate speech, and University of Louisville lands nearly $9 million from three bequests. [Engaging Your Board During Covid-19: A Virtual Forum]( Two experts talk about how to communicate the help you need, protect equity efforts when making tough choices, engage trustees in fundraising, and more. Fundraising in a Crisis: Focus on Donors Most Likely to Give [Join our webinar]( — We’re offering a special discount to accommodate organizations in need during these tumultuous times. As nonprofits nationwide are reeling from a perfect storm caused by the pandemic and the economic freefall, it can be difficult for fundraisers and leaders to know which donors to focus on when everything feels urgent. Join us for a 75-minute webinar to learn how to identify donors in your database who have both the capacity and the inclination to give generously to your cause. You’ll learn from two fundraising executives how to filter your data to prioritize key donors, strategies for cultivating big donors during the economic downturn, and tips for ongoing assessment of prospective donors. Get 40% off when you [sign up]( to join us on Thursday, May 14, at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Help Us Help You [Submit listings of webinars and other virtual events]( that help nonprofits and foundations in this moment. 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