The Office of Community Engagement wanted to share updates and analysis amidst the Covid-19 pandemic that may be helpful to our campus and community.

This site from the council of nonprofits, which will be updated regularly, has an exhaustive set of suggestions and recommendations for nonprofits, including state by state resources.

Closer to home, the Oxford Chamber has assembled this overview of what the CARES Act recently passed by congress means for small businesses and nonprofits. Included is the following information:

This piece from Forbes provides additional analysis of the CARES Act, but also provides important information about “Economic Injury Disaster Loans” (EIDL) – a fund which for which many nonprofit organizations may also qualify:

“The Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) are the first line of support.  These loans aren’t new. They’ve always been available in the event of disaster. However, according to Alex Contreras, Director of Preparedness, Communication, & Coordination at the Office of Disaster Assistance for the SBA, this is the first time a virus or pandemic event has been defined as a disaster.”

This article from Forbes notes that churches and religious organizations can also apply for relief through the CARES Act.

Finally, Give Pulse is a company that assists campuses and communities in tracking student engagement with communities beyond the campus. They conducted a survey of community partners and campuses across the country, and this excerpt from the article captures well the importance of community engagement – especially in our current moment:

“Access to information and to positive messaging is critical at this time; people need encouragement and will benefit from seeing the many incredible ways that our communities are coming together. If we have learned one thing from the responses we received, it is that our partners are working to connect with community members in need, devoting themselves in this time of crisis to the wellbeing of others. We look forward to highlighting these stories in the days and weeks ahead. NPOs and campuses can similarly highlight these stories, becoming hubs for the communication that will lift spirits and encourage safe practices going forward.”

You can review the full findings of the survey on the Give Pulse Blog.

Stay safe, stay engaged, and please let us know if you have information that would be helpful to share with our community.  Contact us at engaged@olemiss.edu