Like every other sector, the COVID-19 pandemic hit the nonprofit sector hard. At the onset, donations dropped, doors closed, and cash reserves dwindled. However, the nonprofit sector could not halt operations. While the rest of the country paused, the need for nonprofit services only grew, and our country’s nonprofits delivered. 

Nonprofits delivering direct care services adopted a hybrid model with employees utilizing phone and virtual options when possible and still providing direct care when not. Successful nonprofits shifted their efforts online to cover these new costs and make up for in-person fundraising events. Many utilized social media and email campaigns to seek donations and keep their donors engaged. 

Nonprofits have survived the worst of this pandemic, but now the question is, how do nonprofits move forward? In order to answer this question, we must first answer another: should nonprofits require employees to receive the Covid-19 vaccine? President Biden has already announced the Department of Labor is developing an emergency rule requiring all employers with 100 or more employees “to ensure their work forces are fully vaccinated or show a negative test at least once a week.” 

Regardless of the size of your organization, if your nonprofit wants to get back to helping others the best they can, the answer to our question seems clear: wherever possible, require the vaccine. The science and data show that the Covid-19 vaccine is not only safe, but it is also our best defense against this pandemic. As Momentum Nonprofit Partners’ CEO Kevin Dean recently reminded us, “No nonprofit organization can fulfill their mission—no matter what that mission is—if their staff and constituencies are in danger.”

In addition to the vaccine requirement, there are many other things you and your organization need to consider: 

• How do you keep everyone safe and healthy when the pandemic still poses a threat? 
• Should you require masks for all employees? In the office? In the field?  
• Should remote work still be allowed? Should you adopt a hybrid model instead? 

To help your organization answer these questions, here are some tips on workplace reentry: 

• Establish a re-entry plan before re-opening. This plan can help your employees feel more confident and safe while returning to the office. 
• Establish a COVID-19 Task Force. This multidisciplinary team is responsible for staying up to date on COVID-19 and its impacts on your organization. This team will communicate their knowledge to the rest of your organization.  
• Prepare your offices. OSHA and the CDC have published recommendations to employers on how to adjust offices to maintain social distancing between employees and prevent cross-contamination of surfaces and equipment. 
• Update employment policies. Adjust policies regarding Covid-related sick time and working from home to meet current needs during this stage of the pandemic. 

Another way to move forward may be to reimagine what your nonprofit can be. According to Steve Zimmerman from the Harvard Business Review, “crises are also a time to reimagine and remake nonprofits so that they can best serve their constituents.” To reimagine your organization, Zimmerman encourages organizations to focus on 4 interconnected areas: 

1. Impact: With as much input as possible, clearly define what impact your organization wants to have. Your impact may have evolved throughout this pandemic. 
2. People: You have the chance to build a diverse and inclusive organization that is genuinely in touch with its staff and accurately reflects the people it serves. 
3. Finances: This pandemic taught the nonprofit sector the importance of developing an intentional revenue strategy. 
4. Community: Focus on the larger system in which you operate. 

Your organization has already conquered the challenge of operating through a pandemic, and you will conquer the challenge of moving forward, too. 

If you need help taking the next steps forward, contact the National Executive Service Corps today!
Send us a message or give us a call!