NEXT ZOOM Session May 18th 1:00-2:30pm

“Whenever an old reality disappears, the answer is not to refuse to do anything that had been associated with that reality, but rather to explore and discover what the new reality is.”  

– Bill Bridges

Jefferson Funders Forum brings together public and private philanthropic leadership to share information, perspectives and experiences; cooperatively explore and leverage resources to positively impact communities in southern Oregon and northern California.

Levels of Engagement: I. Communication and Information Sharing; II. Learning Together; III. Planning for Collective & Collaborative Action IV. Action

ZOOM Facilitator – Anne Golden, Threshold Foundation

• Communication & Information Sharing:

• Participants included Bill Thorndike, NW Health Foundation, Anne Golden, Threshold Foundation, Amy Drake & Patrick Hosfield, Oregon Community Foundation, Polly Williams, Carpenter Foundation, Laura Olson, Smullin Foundation, Marie and Paula, Wild Rivers Coast Alliance, Judy Basker, Rogue Community College, Kathy Bryon & Jennifer Staton, Gordon Elwood Foundation, Gina Zottola, Wild Rivers Community Foundation, Sam Engel & Debra Ameen, AllCare, Nancy Mc Kinnis, Jackson Care Connect, Floyd Harmon, Asante Foundation, Jen Shafer, United Way of SW Oregon, Alice Cushman, Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation, Kelly Bruggerman, First Interstate Foundation; Jim White, NAO; Lyn Hennion, Oregon Community Foundation Advised Donor; 
• Check-in: Sharing of a kindness experienced between friends, neighbors and community.

• Learning Together and Dialogue: Jim White, Executive Director, Non-Profit Association of Oregon, Oregon Non-Profit Sector Realities, Updates and Considerations for emerging future.

• NAO has been in communication with individuals and organizations, there is a great need for resources now and into the near future coming from non-profits along with worry and uncertainty. Particular concerns with those working in health and human services. They are hearing that non-profits want to get back to work but concerned about how staff will return, if people will come to them, events that have been cancelled or postponed, will the state require contact tracing in each organization, and how will nonprofits trace if required. 
• Confusion around the State Opening Plan that is in the works and how this will be communicated. NAO plans to make this information available. The State HHS website has guidelines as of last week. 

• Resources are a big concern, what damage has been done so far regarding fundraisers that have been canceled and fees for service that were not able to be provided. Everyone is wondering what does the situation look like through the end of the 2020 year and projections looking forward into 2021. Non-profits with government contracts are particularly concerned because of the preliminary predictions of two billion dollars less revenue coming into the State in this biennium. 
• The current message is not to expect extra funds from the State. Jim is hoping that the Feds will help  make up the difference through a state infrastructure bill. The 2.0 patch funding will not be available until June. NAO is tracking changes and making resources available. 
• NAO is we are offering everything for free right now. Online learning webinars, latest news and updates, public policy and advocacy resources.

• Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Resources:

https://nonprofitoregon.org/news/covid-19-resources

• NAO upcoming  webinars and recordings of previous webinars can be found:

https://nonprofitoregon.org/training_convening/online_learning

• Wednesday, May 13, 2020 8:30am-9:30am Oregon Nonprofit Town Hall with U.S. Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley. Virtual town hall will address Oregon’s nonprofit community. Provide an opportunity to hear directly and ask questions about the CARES Act and plans for future congressional action, as well as discuss specific issues and needs facing Oregon’s nonprofits. 

To register: https://nonprofitoregon.org/civicrm/event/info%3Fid%3D3710%26reset%3D1

• Jim is in conversation with Steve Patty,Dialogues in Action, three part series on Covid recovery in response to what NAO is hearing. 
• Giving Tuesday typically falls Tuesday after Thanksgiving. On May 5, 2020 an emergency response to Covid-19 will be #GivingTuesdayNow using social media to get directly involved and matching volunteers and donors with nonprofit organizations. 

Questions to Jim:

• Education program and Student Success Act:  Jim has no updates specifically on education at this time. He has seen a lot energy with healthcare sub sector, social service, but has not been involved in the education sector. 
• Payroll Protection Plan: The PPP with a potential loan forgiveness plan opened twice for organizations with less than 500 employees. PPP supported organizations MUST pay employees rather than furlough at to receive loan forgiveness. Original round was poorly rolled out, lenders used different models, making it difficult for smaller organizations. According to the PPP website the second round closed and was prioritized to smaller lenders. NAO launched a survey with 150 organizations, 43% received PPP in first round, second round unknown. If an organization has not heard by now, it is highly unlikely they will receive PPP. 
• NAO’s role in recovery and how funders can engage with NAO: NAO is sending out alerts twice a week, this may change to one time a week soon, please forward these alerts to your grantees. NAO is offering everything free and organizations do not need to be members to access webinars, info and training. NAO will be initiating regionally based community groups to meet and discuss how to move ahead and what each region may need; it is clear from call in sessions that needs are very different in different regions of Oregon. He imagines there will be a cohort in Illinois Valley, Medford, South Coast area, Lane, perhaps a virtual All Rural, All Volunteer group – more to come on that. Will be by geography, sectors, or type of organizations.

• Regional Report Out: What we Know and What we Don’t Know by County

Regional participants share 

• Community emergency response needs? 
• What are we learning or wrestling with as it relates to Recovery/Emerging future and Resilience?

Coos County: 

Jen Shafer, United Way of SW Oregon: The first round of emergency relief funds of $33,000 has gone out to 24 organizations with support from OCF, TFFF, and individuals.  The second round in May seeded by Dutch Bros will be part of Giving Tuesday. Volunteer match program is connecting/coordinating organizations with individuals behind the scenes. Non-profits organizations can log in and list needs. Individuals interested in volunteering can log in and search areas of interest.  Applied/received PPP through Umpqua bank.

• United Way of Southwestern Oregon Emergency Relief Fund 

https://unitedwayswo.org/emergency-relief-fund/

Marie Simonds, Wild River Coast Alliance: They are partnering with Wild Rivers Community Foundation and United Way, adding funds for emergency food issues, South Coast Food Share and volunteer program. They are pulling funders together from Coos and Curry County regions. Their first call was last Friday, next one this Friday to talk about emerging needs and how funders can band together. If anyone in this group serves either of these counties and would like to join group please reach out.  

Curry County, Del Norte & Tribal Lands, Humboldt: 

Gina Zottola, Wild Rivers Community Foundation: Gina shared thatCurryCounty really came together, the Wild Rivers Staff meet daily to review community needs, grants are out the door the same day. The Covid-19 fund has given out $450,000 thus far. Every staff member is making phone calls to programs throughout their region, it’s a grass roots effort addressing immediate needs and listening to what’s does it the next 90 days mean. Humboldt Area designated $2 million out of their reserves for supporting small businesses in the N CA region. Non-Profits in both counties are still struggling with food chain and food pantry insecurities. She has heard back that in her region, small business and nonprofits are not applying for PPP because it seems intimidating. Advocacy became a visible issue for Humboldt, Del Norte Counties, and Tribal communities. Non-Profits and businesses along with the Tribal communities are not connected to state and local leaders, so HAF hosted call with Congressman Huffman to talk about working together and collectively.  

Douglas County:  No one available to report on this community.

Josephine County: 

Judy Basker, Rogue Community College: RCC received $1.2 million Cares Act for student emergencies, this equals about $75 per student.   RCC is doing best they can to help student access funds and working on ways to help DACA students and/or those students who may not qualify.  New Health Profession Center work is still going and scheduled for completion in August. Still unclear if in person classes will be restricted and how that may look for the new Center. 

Sam Engel, AllCare:  Sam shared the effort to keep warming shelter open every night through end of May, lifting the 34 degree requirement. Josephine County has designated temporary homeless options. A number of community organizations are working together.  Rogue Retreat & UCAN in particular are involved in broad reaching efforts with homeless. Working to open shower center; Curry County is also working on shower options. Looking ahead to predicted fire season, the need will be more significant than in the past. 

Jackson County: 

Amy Drake, OCF: OCF has distributed $13.3 million in grants around the state to 508 programs out of the 1142 application they received from around the state (representing $71 million in requests).  $188,000 has been distributed to Coos and Curry County and $961,000 in rural southern Oregon including Consumer Credit Counseling, Kids Unlimited, Rogue Retreat, Chiloquin Cares. They are looking at the next phase and what will that look like. Amy reported hearing a lot of confusion and uncertainty around reopening. Amy has questions regarding food distribution and access. Who has access? Do communities around the state have what they need?  Challenges in rural versus urban, how does this impact residents at the local level? What are the impacts based on language English and Spanish speaking populations looking for food? Amy asked if anyone has information to share, please call her.  

• Oregon Community Foundation Recovery Fund

https://oregoncf.org/covid/grants-loans/

Kathy Bryon, Gordon Elwood Foundation: As Jim White suggested at this meeting and others have said earlier, programs may go away or change how they are administrated. She noted that Every Child and Grandmas 2 Go in Jackson County will be umbrellaed by Family Nurturing Center. Domestic Violence programs in Curry and Josephine Counties along with other shelter programs such as Maslow, Hearts with a Mission, have expressed needs for emergency funds, as they have depleted their emergency fund. At the same time there are some remarkable strategies underway to support the Community Health Improvement Plan La Clinica is assessing all 30,000 clients to see how they are in all parts of their lives. Family Nurturing Center and Headstart have contacted more than 800 families between them to check on what they might need in order to help keep parents supported. FNC has made over 300 deliveries of items needed by families.  

Deborah Ameen and Sam Engel, AllCare:  Shared information on an exciting Workforce/Healthcare/Community partnership around what is called SNAP 50/50. This Fall sixty CCO members will go through coaching and training through this program that connects individuals using food stamps with workforce training opportunities and education. Sam is wondering if anyone knows of the impact that closed thrift stores for St Vincent de Paul and Salvation Army has had on their ability to serve?

Appreciation to Sam Engel for stewarding this opportunity on behalf of our region! 

Floyd Harmon, Asante: Floyd shared the stress on healthcare institutions during this time.  Leaders and employees are doing a great job of pulling together to do good and to not overwhelm the system. Healthcare is getting back up and running, starting elective necessary procedures. Biggest issue is personal protective gear. In the next couple of months, the new behavioral health unit will be open. The Sanctuary Model has transformed behavioral health practice as well as care in the hospital in general. Asante is excited to pull together a virtual opening of the unit very soon. In Grants Pass, Three Rivers Hospital expansion is moving along and they have raised $1 million from the community.  Fundraising for the Barnett, new regional cancer center has slowed down due to Covid, but the needs of the project have not gone away. There is more focus on health care workers at the moment but we will have to come back together to make things happen for the other healthcare issues facing our region. 

Nancy McKinnis, Jackson Care Connect: Nancy shared that they have been working on public health messaging to vulnerable populations who have limited access to information and resources. JCC has put together information packets for individuals to share with friends, neighbors and those with higher health risks in both Spanish and English languages. 

Klamath-Lake Counties: 

Amy Drake, OCF: Amy shared what she has heard regarding rural Klamath region. Small organizations/business are hurting. Children have a lot of anxiety and the Bonanza area is struggling with internet challenges.Existing poverty has been exacerbated.Churches are the stabilizers in these communities. 

Lane County: No one available to report on this community.

Siskiyou County: No one available to report on this community.

What questions we are holding that we want to explore and share going forward?

1.  Do we need to gather information regarding food/food access and what would we like to learn? 

2.  Should we connect with food distribution / meal service (St Vincent de Paul) to see what is the demand on them and what does that look like? 

3.  Possible food panel – food bank, pantries, St Vincent de Paul, representation from the coast?

4.  Public K-12 Education – Follow up with invite to Scott Beveridge.

Notes respectfully offered by 

Jennifer Staton

Gordon Elwood Foundation