WITH’s COVID-19 Response
WITH Foundation understands how deeply the intellectual and developmental disabilities community is impacted by COVID-19. The following is a summary of WITH’s response to COVID-19.
COVID-19 Response Fund
In early April of 2020, WITH re-allocated around 7% of its annual grant funding into a COVID-19 Response Fund. We invited 41 of our current and past grantees to apply for $25,000 grants through the fund. WITH asked applicants to provide a brief summary of what their organization would do with $25,000 to respond to COVID-19 and its impact on adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities. In an effort to reduce organizational labor and staff time, WITH intentionally ensured that the application solely required response to that question. WITH released funds to the selected organizations on May 8th. More information on WITH’s COVID-19 Response Fund grantees is available at withfoundation.org/with-foundations-covid-19-response-fund-grantees.
As a result of the continued need, in November of 2020, WITH Foundation provided an additional round of funding through the fund. To learn about the organizations selected to receive funding during the 2nd round, please visit: withfoundation.org/with-foundations-covid-19-response-fund-grantees-round-two/
In late October of 2021, WITH Foundation launched a third round of funding through the COVID-19 Response Fund. More information regarding the efforts supported through this round will be available in late January 2022.
Project Time Frame Flexibility
Many of our grantees are frontline disability healthcare providers. It has been critical for WITH to be flexible with grantees regarding their project time frames. If you are a grantee and need changes to your project time frame, please email grants@withfoundation.org and we will work with you to make these adjustments.
Increase of the Administrative/Indirect Cost Cap
In order to provide organizations greater flexibility in addressing the challenges presented by COVID-19. WITH’s Board of Directors has approved a temporary increase to our administrative/indirect cost cap. Effective November 1, 2020, WITH will consider proposals that include up to 28% of the total request supporting administrative/indirect costs. This increase will remain in effect until further notice.
Funder Education
Through our Funder Education Initiative, WITH engages with our peers in philanthropy, especially health/healthcare funders, to bring the lens of disability to their grantmaking. WITH believes that funders’ missions are more effectively addressed when disability is intentionally included. Being intentional in addressing disability is essential to any effective funder response to COVID-19. Thus far, WITH has partnered in the following funder education efforts related to COVID-19.
- Philanthropy California’s webinar on How Philanthropy Can Support Disability Healthcare Rights During Coronavirus, in partnership with Northern California Grantmakers, DREDF, Legal Aid at Work, UCSF’s Office of Developmental Primary Care, and WITH.
- Southern California Funders‘ Discussion on COVID-19: Supporting Vulnerable Communities, in partnership with Liberty Hill Foundation, Weingart Foundation, California Blue Cross Blue Shield Foundation and WITH.
- Blog featured by WITH: COVID-19 and people with I/DD: A physician’s perspective, an interview with Dr. Clarissa Kripke of UCSF’s Office of Developmental Primary Care
- Blog: Six Questions You Can Ask To Support Disability Inclusion by Ryan Easterly, Executive Director of WITH.
To learn more about disability-inclusive responses from funders, review Philanthropic Responses to COVID-19: 4 Disability-Inclusive Approaches. This resource is available through the Disability & Philanthropy Forum at disabilityphilanthropy.org. The Forum is a portal supported by the Presidents’ Council on Disability Inclusion in Philanthropy,
RFP Cycle
WITH changed the theme for our RFP cycle. The RFP theme focused on “Addressing the Challenges Primary Care Providers Experience in Serving Adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities during Pandemic and/or Emergency Situations”. To learn about the efforts supported through this RFP, please visit: withfoundation.org/with-aadmd-award-grants-from-rfp-addressing-pandemic-and-emergency-situations/.
Advocacy
In addition to the efforts discussed above, WITH joined in signing the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities’ letter asking governors and hospital administrators to ensure that hospital and other healthcare provider visitor policies include reasonable modifications for people with disabilities who need the physical presence of a support person in order to ensure equal access to healthcare. To view a copy of this letter, visit www.c-c-d.org/fichiers/Sign-on-letter-supporters-in-hospitals-governor.pdf
We appreciate the work of all of our grantees during this challenging time!
