Hartford Business Journal

Nonprofits innovate as pandemic poses existential threat to industry By Liese Klein Special to the Hartford Business Journal F orget about figuring out Zoom settings or juggling Google Classroom assignments: The young people served by Hart- ford's COMPASS Youth Collaborative (CYC) are worried about their families getting enough food, staying safe, paying rent and washing their clothes as the coronavirus pan- demic changes daily living in Connecticut and across the country. "We know that these kids are struggling with things that are out of their control," said CYC CEO Jac- quelyn Santiago. She listed challenges facing her kids including poverty, health issues, violence, family instabil- ity and lack of educational resources. "Now that we have Covid-19, we are still dealing with those issues, but we've added yet another layer of trauma and another layer of feeling like they're abandoned." The nonprofit has responded to the crisis by quickly adapting its services to available communication channels. Case-management services normally provided in schools now take the form of phone check-ins and counseling. Homework help that CYC staff members normally offer in Hartford Public Schools class- rooms now takes place online, of- ten on comput- ers the nonprofit has helped to distribute to families in need. Most urgently, young people are getting direct help to pay for food and necessities with gift cards dropped off at their homes by CYC employees. All industries are being impacted by the coronavirus, but nonprofits may have the most at stake, since many deliver critical services within the community but also operate on thin budgets. Greater Hartford nonprofits are searching for counseling and financial lifelines as revenue sources dry up amid the broader econom- ic downturn. How long the partial shut down of the state's economy lasts will likely deter- mine the fate of many tax-exempt organizations. In the mean- time, in order to navigate these difficult times, nonprofits must adapt quickly to the changing circumstances, much like CYC has done, said Sondra Lintel- mann-Dellaripa of the Harvest Development Group, a Mid- dletown-based nonprofit consulting firm. "You're an organization that's run- ning into the storm," Lintelmann- Dellaripa said of nonprofits that provide basic human services. "You continue to reach out, you expand on your communication, you let people know what you're doing. The trust that you've built in your community, you now can get them to engage with you and support you." Nonprofits that aren't directly involved in essential services need to work to stay rel- evant right now, Lintelmann- Dellaripa added. For example, a science museum can offer daily videos or postings that directly relate to home-schooling. "If you can't find a way to be rel- evant in this, the last thing you want to do is just start ignoring what's happening and continuing on. See how you can support the organiza- tions around you," she added. In one case, an art therapy group in Connecticut has started develop- ing programs for front-line respond- ers, allowing it to contribute to anti-virus efforts and stay active. "You're opening up a new com- munity that maybe never knew you before," Lintelmann-Dellaripa said. "When all this passes, now they have an appreciation for you. Now they're part of your community. "Nonprofits need to just take a deep breath — don't look beyond the end of April right now," she added. "Focus on either being needed, being relevant or being support- ive. If you run through those three scenarios and you still come up blank, then you need to think about what is our purpose and why are we actually doing this." Heads above water As a sector, local nonprofits are struggling to respond to the ever-shifting challenges presented by the corona- virus and the resulting disruptions, said Meher Shulman, associate director of the Hartford Foundation for Public Giving's nonprofit sup- port program. "The sense we get right now is that boards and staff of nonprofits are just trying to keep their heads above water and do crisis manage- ment," Shulman said. "Most non- profits are small and scrappy, but most of them don't have cash reserves so they don't really have a cushion when things go awry." The Hartford Foundation is trying to help with more flexibility in grant-making in addition to setting up a virus relief fund that allocated $1 million on April 6 in its first round to 13 agencies. In addition, nonprofits are being offered counseling and support as they deal with funding cuts and program chal- lenges. 20 Hartford Business Journal • April 20, 2020 • www.HartfordBusiness.com NONPROFIT NOTEBOOK Jacquelyn Santiago, CEO, COMPASS Youth Collaborative Sondra Lintelmann Dellaripa, Harvest Development Group Meher Shulman, Associate Director, Nonprofit Support Program, Hartford Foundation John Horak, Director, TANGO A young Hartford resident receives a gift card and care package courtesy of the COMPASS Youth Collaborative, a city-based nonprofit. CYC employees prepare laptops for Hartford students learning from home amid COVID-19. PHOTO | CONTRIBUTED

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