Today, our grantees and partners are directly and existentially affected by the Corona crisis. As foundations, we accept our responsibility to support our partners in this exceptional situation.

We would like to express our thanks and appreciation to all our grantee organizations and projects for their commitment in this difficult situation. We assure you that you can count on us as foundations:

• We consider it our shared responsibility to support you in this crisis so that you can continue to work for your target groups during and after the pandemic.

• We want to understand your challenges and concerns in order to jointly find solutions. We know that your usual work procedures are turned upside down. Please do not hesitate to contact us if your time allows.

• We are aware that you cannot carry out agreed projects and program activities as planned. We commit to not reclaiming promised funding and are open to postponing projects, extending commitments and adapting activities.

• We encourage you to find alternative formats for canceled events or projects. Please explore which alternative ways and forms can be tested. We are happy to assist you – so we can jointly use the crisis as an opportunity to learn.

• We understand that you are not able to deliver reports in the usual quality in the current situation, and we will of course adjust deadlines and requirements.

• If payments are linked to specific results, goals or milestones that you cannot achieve due to the Corona crisis, we will still pay-out pledged installments.

• On a case by case basis, we will evaluate the possibility to amend or suspend program-related funding restrictions, in order to give you leeway to react to the crisis.

• If our financial means allow, we will provide additional funding beyond existing commitments and will contribute to emergency funds for particularly affected target groups.

• We want to learn from this experience. We will therefore evaluate the lessons learned and discuss how foundations can contribute to building the resilience of civil society organizations in future crisis situations.

We are calling on other foundations, social investors and donors to join this call to action.

You can join the call here.