New Approaches to Faith-Based Giving During COVID-19
Many of these groups have altered their philanthropic strategy due to many hard circumstances presented by the challenge of the pandemic. According to the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy at the University of Indiana at Bloomington, the pandemic has caused nearly 10% of faith-based philanthropies to consider layoffs or even closure of their organization due to financial hardships. Also mentioned in this research, the organizations have had to focus on relationships with their members and refine their clarity of purpose whilst navigating the challenges of the crisis.
For example, Christian charity, Convoy of Hope has been distributing bags of groceries, soap, water, and cleaning supplies to hundreds of families all over the country. In the past, the group has focused on donating food and produce to those specifically in impoverished areas while during the pandemic, they shifted their focus to helping those directly affected by the spread of the pandemic.
According to an article on U.S. faith-based groups fighting COVID-19, many Muslim and Christian organizations have met the challenges of the pandemic through changing the way they donate, focusing more on helping those affected by the pandemic rather than the people they would usually assist with their financial assets.
Another example of a faith-based organization following this trend of redefining their goals during the challenging pandemic is HOPE International, a United States-based Christian charity that helps entrepreneurs in Latin America, Eastern Europe, Africa, and Asia with financial assistance and loans. The group in the past has normally given out loans to those struggling to start their business venture but has shifted their focus to help businesses who are struggling financially during the pandemic. This shift in focus has allowed the group to continually help those in need relative to the current challenges affecting themselves and the public.
