This year has been a nightmare, but I don’t think the majority of us really understand what is coming. Moratoriums on evictions are ending soon, and 40,000,000 people face being kicked out of their homes. As winter arrives, the levels of poverty, homelessness, pain, and trauma will reach levels we may not be able to grasp and our sector is not equipped to handle.

Unfortunately, except for a few rare (and much-appreciated) exceptions, philanthropy as a whole has not risen to the challenge. Foundations are still hoarding, continuing with this delusion that things will get back to “normal” and so they have some sort of moral obligation to maintain perpetuity. If this pandemic is “unprecedented,” then where is the “unprecedented” response from philanthropy? 792 funders signed a pledge vowing to make nonprofits’ lives easier by converting restricted grants to gen-op, streamlining applications, etc. That’s a start, but that’s like there’s a huge wildfire and you formally agree to stop smoking in the forest (It’s helpful…but why were you smoking there in the first place?). Where is the pledge signed by 792 foundations vowing to triple or quadruple or go all-in with their payout rate and give out funding immediately to the communities most in need?

The BIPOC leaders I know across the sector are exhausted by all this. While the pandemic has affected everyone, Black, Indigenous, and communities of color have been disproportionately affected. They’re mentally, emotionally, physically exhausted by the disproportionate impact to marginalized communities, by the fact that still only a pathetic 10% of funding goes to BIPOC communities, and by philanthropy’s tepid response during a moment when it can make a tremendous difference.

It is time for philanthropy to step up and fund BIPOC communities, fund significantly, and fund quickly. In my state, 150 BIPOC executive directors signed an open letter to funders in Washington State demanding they double their annual payout to 10%, fund BIPOC orgs, give 5-year unrestricted grants, and support advocacy work.

While this letter is targeted toward funders in Washington State, the sentiments apply to our entire sector. If we’re going to get through these critical next few months, and then next few years, nonprofits need the resources to do their work. If you are a funder, please read the entire letter above, then discuss with your board and staff what actions you will take.

Don’t spend too much time discussing though—start funding. If you wonder where to begin, the National Day Laborer Organizing Network, Casa Latina, Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County, Inc. (CAB), and Inclusive Action for the City started a campaign to raise $62.5M over the next five years to distribute to over 50 organizations across the US so they can support day laborers, develop their infrastructures, and engage in advocacy. This is the Pa’lante Fund, and it should be a quick decision for funders to make when they’re looking at whom to partner with. Every funder should support this fund immediately.

Read the full article about an unprecedented response from philanthropy by Vu Le at Nonprofit AF.