There are no words to describe the extent of the pain and costs resulting from this unfolding tragedy called coronavirus. On the best of times, most nonprofits are already walking a financial tightrope daily as they search for resources to fund their critical work in our community. But now the unthinkable has happened. Each morning brings new stories about the destructive impact COVID-19 is having on nonprofit operations.

However, our nonprofits are resilient and adaptable, in part, because they are so clearly focused on their mission. They know they must persevere and prove how capable they are in surmounting the obstacles in front of them.

One thing is for sure—nonprofits need their donors to contribute at higher levels than ever before. If you are able to contribute financially, now is the time to continue and even increase your donations to the nonprofits you believe in.

I have had the privilege of interviewing some of our valiant nonprofit leaders about how the pandemic is creating challenges and opportunities for them. I will share a summary of four of those interviews with you today.

Greg Gorga, E.D. Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

>>Greg Gorga, Executive Director, Santa Barbara Maritime Museum

Mission: Creating quality exhibits and educational experiences that celebrate the Santa Barbara Channel and illuminate our rich connections with the sea.

“The quarantine resulting from the COVID-19 virus has had a serious negative impact on our work at the Museum. It has already cost us over $100,000 in lost revenue, canceled pledges, canceled weddings, and loss of store and admission sales.”

The Museum closed on March 14 and Gorga says it probably won’t reopen until at least June. Their staff are working from home and currently being paid for the next two and a half months using funds from their PPP loan.

Unfortunately, they also had to cancel all of their education programs for their clients, many of which may not resume until the fall or later. Their 20^th Anniversary fundraiser, set for May 29, has been moved to an online venue.

Gorga is proud of the addition of an “At Home” page on their website which has craft activities, videos, and more. Their lectures are online as well and they continue to create more online content, including a narrated tour of the Museum.

Gorga’s suggestions for other nonprofits are that communication with and care for your staff are key to eventually resume services.

Lori Goodman, E.D. Isla Vista Youth Projects

>>Lori Goodman, Executive Director, Isla Vista Youth Projects (IVYP)

Mission: The Isla Vista Youth Projects strengthens our community through diverse educational, recreational, and social programs for children and families regardless of income.

“We made the difficult decision to close our child care operations, leaving 127 children, age 0 – 5, without care and leaving more than 240 school-aged children without the care they would have gotten after school. We don’t know when we will be able to reopen. We are committed to doing our part to flatten the curve and not overwhelm our healthcare system with the COVID-19 virus.”

IVYP also provides an emergency food pantry for their families, feeding approximately 400 families each week. They are carefully observing social distancing constraints, so families must make an appointment to pick up food. They also continue to support families with CalFresh and Medi-Cal sign-ups. 

One of their biggest challenges is technology. Staff members call each family every week to check in on their physical, emotional, and educational needs; and then we provide a clearinghouse to meet those needs. However, some of their teachers and many of the families they serve do not own a computer or have Wi-Fi. Goodman observes, “We talk about the achievement gap in low-income students, but I am seeing dire consequences of the technology gap.”

Goodman is not sure how IVYP will survive the pandemic challenges. Even though their state-funded child care and after school care will continue to receive funds for those certified children, they also serve many private pay low-income families as well.

“This crisis is revealing our weaknesses but also our strengths,” explains Goodman. I am seeing tremendous commitment, creativity, resilience, and collaboration. It’s inspiring.”

When I asked Goodman about her advice for other nonprofits she said, “I believe we are going to be dealing with social distancing for many months. My advice is to accept that this is going to take a long time. Take care of yourself, your family, and your colleagues. Breathe.”

Jan Campbell, E.D. Domestic Violence Solutions

>>Jan Campbell, Executive Director, Domestic Violence Solutions

Mission: We provide safety, shelter, and support for families and individuals affected by domestic violence and collaborate with community partners to raise awareness regarding the cause, prevalence, and impact.

The Administrative Office is open and conducting business as usual; however, some services have been reduced or changed. They are accepting no new clients in the Santa Barbara shelter but transporting them instead to their Santa Maria facility.

Campbell explains, “We are using telehealth now for our case management and it is working very well. Our clients suffer from trauma so we are trying to keep them as calm and normalized as possible. I am also working diligently to keep our staff upbeat during these trying times.”

Campbell reports the Goleta Chamber of Commerce has been very helpful by providing hotel vouchers and connections. Other supporters have included the County, the cities, and the consortium of funders led by the Santa Barbara Foundation, United Way, and the Hutton Parker Foundation. These agencies have provided critical financial support for general operating expenses.

Lisa Brabo, E.D. Family Service Agency

>>Lisa Brabo, PhD., Executive Director, Family Service Agency (FSA)

Mission: Providing hope, strength, and stability to Santa Barbara County children, families, and seniors

Brabo explains that “FSA’s core services for families and seniors—basic needs assistance and mental health counseling—are needed by even more community members during this crisis and will continue throughout.  We are providing most assistance via telephone and video now in order to safeguard everyone’s health and safety. We provide in-person assistance when essential, such as for food distribution.” 

“We are partnering with the Food Bank to increase emergency food distribution, and assisting with the COVID-19 Joint Response Effort as the case management contractor in the provision of cash and other basic needs assistance for community members.  We are also continuing our mental health counseling for students even though schools are closed, and are also providing mental health counseling and support for individuals, families, and seniors during this very stressful time.”

FSA’s primary challenge is keeping the agency adequately funded during this crisis since even more people need their help. The agency doesn’t have a lot of reserves, so they are being very careful about their financial and service decisions.

For example, given the situation, it is difficult to meet all of their existing contract deliverables, and in some cases, the deliverables are not workable during the crisis.  They have been asking for flexibility with their contracts in order to continue services in the ways they are needed now.

They have been successful in some of these negotiations and not in others.  In situations where they have not been successful in their requests for flexibility, they aren’t able to pay for the staff under these contracts. Therefore, they had to lay off 40 of their 208 staff members.

Brabo makes a point of communicating frequently with staff, so they are updated on all that is occurring and have the opportunity to ask questions and talk through concerns. She is also emphasizing self-care during this very stressful time and supporting staff in learning the new skills so they can work effectively as they provide services remotely.

When I asked Brabo what advice she has for other nonprofits she said, “Persist. Be creative. People are counting on us.