WATSONVILLE—Nearly every business, school and agency in Santa Cruz County has been affected by the outbreak of Covid-19—but perhaps the hardest hit have been nonprofit organizations.
With stay-at-home orders still mostly in place, nonprofits cannot hold fundraisers. And as much of their government funding and sponsorships are diminished, organizations are struggling to make ends meet.
Community Bridges is a nonprofit that has served Santa Cruz County for 40 years, aiming to deliver essential services and resources to the community. The organization is currently facing drastically diminished funding.
“We get the majority of our funding through local, state and city governments,” said Amy Hanley, Community Bridges marketing director. “About 77 percent comes from grants. And a lot is based on services we provide. But suddenly we don’t have activities… we are canceling our fundraisers, which bring in a lot of donations.”
Hanley said that Community Bridges’ Meals on Wheels has seen a more than 53 percent increase in hot meal deliveries. In addition, they have expanded to offering breakfast. These increases have posed a “significant” amount of challenges, including purchasing more freezers for food storage.
However, the organization is finding ways to stay afloat, including securing reimbursement from the California Department of Aging to hire back nurses to help seniors at home through its Elder Day program.
Community Bridges has also received $20,000 from berry giant Driscoll’s as part of its $4 million global deployment of charitable funds in response to the pandemic. Cash donations from Driscoll’s also went to Second Harvest Food Bank, Pajaro Valley Loaves and Fishes, Salvation Army-Watsonville, Casa de La Cultura and Salud Para La Gente.
“As it became clear this pandemic was going to be unprecedented, we asked ourselves, ‘Where will this hit hardest and how can we play a pivotal role in helping?’” said Matthew Quinlan, senior manager of community engagement at Driscoll’s. “Nonprofits especially are going to be in severe financial trouble.”
The company also sent large “in-kind” donations to the organizations, including items such as masks, sanitizers and cleaning products, and have set up matching donation opportunities for both its employees and growers.
“So many people are uninsured… and when they lose their jobs, they struggle to find food and ways to stay healthy,” Quinlan said. “These organizations are where they go.”
In addition to large companies like Driscoll’s, other foundations and government agencies are donating to small nonprofits during Covid-19. Community Foundation Santa Cruz County has given more than $5.2 million in relief to its nonprofit partners, including Community Bridges, Center for Farmworker Families, Community Action Board, Santa Cruz Barrios Unidos and more. The Northern Monterey County Foundation is currently taking applications for grants until May 29. The foundation has $35,000 available for nonprofits serving Northern Monterey County communities, which include Aromas, Royal Oaks, Moss Landing, Prunedale and Las Lomas.
But the large donations will act more as immediate assistance—general support like money for groceries and rental assistance. Long term help will still be needed.
“This is just the response,” said Quinlan. “What about the recovery? This is a once-in-a-century event. When the full wave of it is clear… the numbers will be disastrous. It will be hard to bounce back.”
Hanley agreed.
“There will still be a huge need,” she said. “We’ve seen the generosity already, and we’re hoping we’ll see more going forward.”
