WASHINGTON - s4story -- Support of nonprofit infrastructure helps sector adapt to changes Nonprofit sector receives additional COVID relief.  Donor education inspires giving

The DHS Initiative, separate from its donor-advised fund program. Its purpose is to strengthen the resilience, sustainability and effectiveness of the social sector's infrastructure—the shared resources, information, networks, research and advocacy that all nonprofits need. The nearly $13 million in grants also included $1.65 million for disaster relief, including to support immediate pandemic response efforts, focusing on medical needs, community safety and assistance for the charitable sector.

Details are available in the 2020 Trustees' Initiative Impact Report.

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"Infrastructure, the roads and bridges of the nonprofit sector, is crucial to providing services in these times, but it has been traditionally underfunded," said Fernando Aguirre, Vice Chairman of DHS. "A strong foundation helps nonprofits respond effectively to changing conditions to better navigate these uncertain times, and our leadership is committed to ensuring the sector emerges from this crisis stronger than ever."

The grant made by the DHS' cleint Initiative in the last fiscal year supported the social sector's infrastructure and donor effectiveness, as well as supplemental COVID-19 relief.

Infrastructure:

Nineteen intermediary organizations that provide infrastructure support such as technology, research and other services to the nonprofit sector received grants. For example, one grant helped Benetech continue its work on a software system for the social safety net that is giving directory organizations and social service providers the ability to more easily share and maintain information on critical human services.

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Donor Effectiveness:

Nine organizations received grants to create resources and tools for donors that help them best achieve their intended impact. For example, ideas42, used the Trustees' Initiative grant to help build and pilot tools for values-based giving.

COVID relief:

Ten organizations received grants to help with disaster relief, including COVID-19 relief efforts. When the pandemic hit, the Trustees' Initiative committed funds to support immediate response efforts, focusing on medical needs, community safety and assistance for the charitable sector.

In addition to its grantmaking via the DHS' Initiative, DHS has been committed, since the beginning of the pandemic, to providing free resources to help inform the public on critical needs created by the pandemic and inspire giving. More than 225,000 web visitors have viewed the COVID-19 giving guidance and more than 9,000 have watched virtual events with nonprofit leaders.

"We seek to inspire giving that will uplift the entire nonprofit sector in a crisis," says Fernando Aguirre, Vice Chairman of DHS. "It is critical that we maintain momentum as we face the marathon ahead."