COVID-19 Rapid Response Checklist for Nonprofits

APRIL 2020
COVID-19 Rapid Crisis
Response for Non-profit
Organizations

1
Copyright©2020byBostonConsultingGroup.Allrightsreserved.
BCG's COVID-19 Rapid Crisis Response Checklist for Non-profits
Execution clarity
Coordinate & scale
response & planning
adaptively
Engage the organization
Empower teams, re-
skilling where needed
Protect organization
from increased security
& reputational risks
Lead with purpose &
integrity
Collaborative
implementation
Team health & safety
Alleviate stress & boost
morale
Reduce risk of transmission
to staff (e.g., hygiene &
cleaning, new ways of
working)
Support those who are /
may be infected
Ensure compliance with
regulatory requirements
Share best practices with
other organizations
Strength of impact
Launch programmatic
emergency response
Adapt programming to
minimize disruption
Reinforce supply chain
against risks
Adapt advocacy strategy &
messaging
Prepare for 'bounce back'
scenarios (e.g., study
impact on SDGs & mission,
and adjust strategy)
Build alliances, align
advocacy and complement
programs to amplify impact
Financial resilience
Exercise cost discipline,
while ensuring continuity &
emergency response
Mitigate loss of funding and
design contingency plans
Step up emergency
fundraising efforts
Explore new forms of
collaboration
Share resources to maximize
effectiveness and efficiency

2
Table of contents
Alleviate stress and
boost morale
Reduce risk of
transmission to staff
Support those who are/
may be infected
Launch programmatic
emergency response
Adapt programming to
minimize disruption
Reinforce supply chain
against risks
Adjust advocacy
strategy & messaging
Prepare for 'bounce
back' scenarios
while ensuring continuity
and emergency response
Mitigate sudden loss of
funding and design
contingency plans
Step up emergency
fundraising efforts
Explore new forms
of private sector
collaboration
Coordinate & scale
response & planning
adaptively
Engage the organization
Empower the team, re-
Protect organization
from increased security
and reputational risks
Lead with purpose
and integrity
A A A A Share best practices
with other organization
Build alliances,
align advocacy and
complement programs
to amplify impact
Share resources to
maximize effectiveness
and efficiency
A
Team health
and safety
Strength
of impact
Financial
resilience
Execution
clarity
Collaborative
implementation
B
C
D
B
C
D
E
B
C
D
B
C
D
E
B
C

3
Alleviate stress & boost
morale
A B C D
Hygiene and cleaning
 Adjust workplace cleaning protocol
(e.g., increase in-office cleaning, reinforce
station changeover SOPs)
 Conduct health/temperature check for
employees/visitors where warranted
 Communicate personal hygiene good
practices; educate on social distancing
 Provide masks, wipes, and other protective
equipment for onsite and field employees
New ways of working
 Separate teams to work in different, satellite
locations and/or non-overlapping time slots
 Restrict use of office for certain groups (e.g.,
visitors, non-critical personnel) and reduce
in-person meetings (e.g., trainings)
 Establish work-from-home (WfH) policies
where possible and ensure appropriate
technological infrastructure support (e.g., IT
solutions, VPNs, virtual meetings)
 Adjust travel policies (e.g., reduce non-
essential travel, reduce cross-facility travel &
third-party presence) and modify sick leave
policies to encourage precaution
 Launch mandatory trainings to educate staff
on new ways of working
Reduce risk of transmission
to staff
Support those who are / may
be infected
 Communicate proactively about all aspects of
the business and efforts undertaken; organize
information sessions and calls to address
questions directly from staff in the field
 Set-up a central hot line (e.g. phone number,
mailbox, Slack channel) to answer direct
questions of staff in the field
 Prepare to support staff in case of changes in
environment (e.g., policy changes in the case
of a reduction in government services such as
school closures)
 Start thinking about implications for
compensation and working hours in a time of
uncertainty (e.g. offer flex leave /part-time
for parents, relax 9-5 rules)
 Increase care for staff, partners &
volunteers, especially as they work longer
hours or become ill under pressure (e.g., free
counseling, health & well-being sessions)
 Address potential workplace bullying or other
acts of hostility when work environment
becomes more stressful & understaffed
 Prepare for potential staff increases in
critical areas and repatriation of staff &
partners when necessary (e.g., special visas,
emergency travel)
 Introduce employee self-quarantine policy
based on travel history/health status
 Create a safe channel for employees to
notify company about an infection
 Provide contact information for tele-
docs for remote counseling (and
expand availability if needed)
 Establish policies around forced time off
in case of infection/quarantine and refine
paid time off policies—and return
guarantees—to prevent sick employees
from coming to work
 Identify, monitor, and protect critical
personnel, roles, and activities
 Ensure compliance with regulatory
requirements
(e.g., OSHA, FMLA, ADA in the US)
 Engage with work councils and unions
as appropriate for respective region(s)
of operation
 Negotiate special permits with local
governments to ensure staff continue to
deliver programming / emergency response
 Strengthen legal support to file & comply
with new potential local regulations
Strength
of impact
Financial
resilience
Execution
clarity
Collaborative
implementation
Team health
and safety
Home page

4
Prepare for 'bounce
back' scenarios
EAdapt programming to
minimize disruption
B
Continuity of core operations
 Analyze impact of crisis on current
programming & revisit targets
(e.g., staff on sick leave,
movement restrictions, risks to
offshored shared services)
 Create clear triage decision tree
to identify critical programmatic
activities
 Reduce non-critical operations
(e.g., non-critical group activities)
to limit transmission and free-up
resources
 Design phased adaptation plan for
critical activities for different
stages of the crisis, with key pre-
aligned decisions
New ways of working
 Design new ways of working to
implement programs (e.g., remote
education in most advanced
countries, meal delivery vs.
canteens, home delivery of
medical supplies vs. central
distribution center)
 Systematically analyze field work
processes to address riskier steps
 Institute weekly best-practice
sharing (e.g. calls, emails)
C Reinforce supply
chain against risks
 Set up rapid response team to
triage logistics / shipment
requests from programs
 Mobilize central "war room" to
monitor ongoing supply risks &
address vulnerabilities
 Project key item shortages for
each program, with allocation
processes for constrained assets
 Prioritize health & safety-critical
products & services, ensuring
alignment with vendors upstream
& with programs downstream
 Collaborate with most critical
suppliers and prepare
contingency plans for potential
risks (e.g., border closings,
export restrictions on medicines
or medical equipment, increased
lawlessness)
 Explore new local partnerships or
sourcing to optimize resources
(e.g. share with other non-profit)
 Strengthen security measures for
items at great risk of theft (e.g.,
protective personal equipment,
medicines, food)
 Institute "COVID-19 Supplier
Audit" to vet potential fraudulent
activity among new suppliers
Scenario analysis
 Conduct scenario analysis on
impact on lead times &
programming in ~3-12 months,
not just immediate term
 Prepare for prolonged 'bounce
back' period, depending on shape
& evolution of pandemic
Impact on SDGs & mission
 Study impact of crisis on SDGs &
mission, adjusting strategy &
resource allocation as needed
 Consider launching new strategy
refresh to re-define priorities in
post-crisis environment
 Ensure COVID impact on targets is
measurable & traceable, to avoid
potential backlash post-crisis &
ensure clear reporting to donors
 Adapt strategy to changing donor
landscape & new fundraising
mechanisms
Post-crisis operations
 Develop plans to re-absorb or re-
distribute emergency response
units & resources (e.g. new hires,
supplies, not used funds,
organization design)
 Revisit lessons learned from other
crises (e.g., Ebola)
 Set up central emergency
response taskforce with
appropriate technical expertise
 Re-train & re-purpose staff from
current programming, without
detracting significantly from core
operations
 Identify where the organization
can deliver unique, catalytic
change along the 'crisis response
value chain'
 Offer to repurpose facilities,
infrastructure, and/or staff to
support local governments &
other non-profits in their
response
 Institute strict impact measuring
(with real-time reporting) to
show impact for unit of funding
(and guarantee ex-post reporting)
A Launch programmatic
emergency response
D Adjust advocacy
strategy & messaging
 Ensure attention to core mission
is not diverted completely to
address crisis
 Tie crisis response to core mission
in tangible ways (e.g., COVID-19
also impacts education, child
protection, food security,
inclusive growth, climate change)
 Leverage advocacy team & media
channels to spread awareness
around prevention & measures to
'flatten the curve'
 Keep longer-term implications
top of mind for governments, and
highlight need for recovery plans
(e.g., impact of school closure on
graduation rates, mental health
issues compounded by isolation)
Financial
resilience
Execution
clarity
Collaborative
implementation
Team health
and safety
Strength
of impact
Home page

5
while ensuring continuity
A B C DMitigate funding loss and
design contingency plans
Explore new forms
of collaboration
Step up emergency
fundraising efforts
 Ensure procurement control tower in place
(e.g., PO authorization processes, active
management of open POs & delivery schedules)
 Variabilize cost as much as possible (e.g.,
enabling voluntary LOAs, slowing or pausing
discretionary hiring)
 Secure short-term liquidity with strict cash-
flow forecasting and management
 Understand employee base (e.g., best
attendance records, longest history with
company) to prepare for uncertain future
 Avoid conducting business-as-usual under
pre-crisis assumptions (e.g., signing lease
agreements or renewals)
 Mitigate or redirect discretionary spending to
build financial flexibility (cautiously select
marketing channels based on higher ROI during
epidemic)
 Stress-test cash flow from financing / investing
based on market scenarios (e.g., securing
credit lines / revolvers, engaging with debt
holders / banks to discuss potential for
extended financing)
 Review commitments, MAC clauses & Force
Majeure for prior non-critical purchases
 Potentially use bridge source of financing (e.g.
intermediaries, banks) or innovative financing
options for critical operations
Institutional, Corporate and HNWI
 Model scenarios of potential shift in donor
priorities and link to organization's core mission
(e.g., diverted attention to domestic)
 Identify key strategic donors and proactively
engage in medium- and long-term conversations
(e.g. educate long-term COVID-19 impact)
 Explore with donors the potential to redirect
restricted funds to mission-critical activities
 Identify more crisis resilient corporate donors
and focus on them mid-term efforts
Individual donors
 Engage more actively with your existing funders
to minimize dip in donations and reduce
disengagement post-crises
 Explore and expand modern fundraising
methodologies
 Conduct strict review of campaigns and
prioritize few with highest historical / potential
ROI
 Shift physical fundraising efforts (e.g., door-to-
door, stores) to online channels (e.g., social
media, volunteer crowdsourcing, online sales)
 Understand your donors and be efficient
with your time, targeting larger gifts
(e.g., Disaggregate corporate donors
sectors and identify one that would
benefit most from link with COVID-19
response)
 Design sound theory of change for your
emergency response effort and link to
stringent impact measurement, in order
to show donors 'best bang for the buck'
 Engage with your donors and don't let the
crisis stop you from asking for support,
while being mindful of the context and
how your donors are being impacted
 Set up dedicated cross-functional
fundraising team (e.g., finance, technical
expertise, programming, donor
relationship) to tap quickly into new
revenue streams (e.g. DFIs/DAs awards)
 Launch crowdfunding campaign to
support emergency response efforts
 Look at innovative fundraising channels
(e.g. impact funds, social bonds) to scare
response quickly
 Use emergency messaging to inspire
confidence in the enduring impact of
your organization, and avoid implying
that it may be in danger of collapse
 Investigate new opportunities for
collaboration beyond fundraising, such
as in crisis response or operational
continuity (e.g., medical staff transfer,
virtual instruments for staff &
beneficiaries)
 Partner with large corporations to
diversify revenue sources (e.g., leverage
marketing agencies to build
crowdfunding momentum, encourage
social entrepreneurship models i.e., % of
profits directed to crisis response
efforts)
 Support private corporations in scaling
up their philanthropic effort by
providing know-how and reach to larger
beneficiary base (e.g., food industry
willing to distribute nutrition products,
educational institution setting up
remote learning spaces)
Strength
of impact
Execution
clarity
Collaborative
implementation
Team health
and safety
Financial
resilience
Home page

6
Coordinate & scale
response & planning
A B CEngage the
organization
Empower teams, re-
Lead with purpose &
integrity
Protect from security
& reputational risks
D E
 Gauge current sentiment within
organization (e.g., via short
online survey, dedicated
communication channels,
cascading team calls)
 Provide honest & frequent 360-
communication through multiple
channels
 Set up a digital information hub
for all the latest policies and
information
 Unlock discretionary effort
beyond regular roles and
responsibilities by suggesting “if
you want to be involved in X,
then contact Y"
 Establish a two-way
communication/Q&A channel
 Protect your organizational
culture during the crisis [see:
BCG Perspective]
 Ensure leadership / board
continuity
 Set up a central, cross-functional,
rapid-response team (e.g., PMO
or Taskforce) to make clear &
efficient decisions as situation
evolves
 Define strategic role,
what it will take, by
when and how
 Design who is on the
teams and identify
resources and capabilities
needed for deployment
 Build central view of potential
impacts of medium-term
scenarios on team & funding
 Create a risk log & contingency
plan for all key functions &
activities
 Develop a central communication
calendar and content in a fast
moving context
 Build dashboard to track progress
and proactively identify
roadblocks / delayed activities
 Tell your employees what they
should be doing in order to
prevent organizational paralysis,
confusion and misinformation—
communicate, communicate,
communicate!
 Provide clear direction on
operational boundaries and
principles (e.g., owned and
shared accountabilities,
decisiveness, entrepreneurial
mindset, act rapidly & flexibly be
engaged) to enable frontline
leaders to execute
 Ensure medical staff are trained
& equipped to manage a COVID-
19 patient, if applicable to
programs
 Train & equip non-medical staff
to manage COVID-19 related
impacts on their day-to-day jobs
 Identify potential staff with
medical training / experience,
who might step up on COVID-
efforts
 Empower team with remote
working tools & take advantage
of special offers for NPOs [List of
free collaboration tools]
 Anticipate potential increases in
fraudulent activity (e.g.,
cybersecurity hacks, disruptions
in virtual communication with
partners in the field, hijacked
money transfers, false advertising
to solicit charitable donations)
 Strengthen internal security
measures (e.g., phishing
firewalls, educate staff to
recognize frauds, web-scraping of
fundraising under non-profit
name/logo)
 Create central security team to
track and react to warnings (e.g.,
hot-line for staff to signal false
fundraising efforts)
 Find ways to support your
employees, community and
society
 Reinforce your vision, mission &
purpose and/or highlight critical
elements of your company’s
value to customers
 Demonstrate concrete linkages
between your mission & COVID-19
 Provide clear, consistent &
frequent messaging about the
impact of COVID-19 on the
organization and how leadership
is addressing it
 Communicate clearly to staff new
priorities and trade-off decisions,
ensuring coherent application
and implementation throughout
the organization
Strength
of impact
Collaborative
implementation
Team health
and safety
Financial
resilience
Execution
clarity
Home page

7
A B C
 Ask large international organizations (e.g. UNDP,
WFP) to share their health and security policies &
protocols for central and field staff
 Where applicable, share own internal trainings with
other (smaller) organizations
 Coordinate creation of COVID-19 hot line (e.g.
mailbox, slack channel) with other organization
close to yours to share Q&As from staff
 Institute 30min weekly calls with other managers
leading through COVID-19 emergency
 Foster collaboration among local teams to build
support network for field staff & staff partners in
more remote locations (where traditional remote
wellbeing services might not be available)
 Foster collaboration among legal and finance teams
to share templates of new contracts / employment
frameworks across different legislations
 Subscribe to shared wellbeing services (e.g.
counselling services) in consortium with other
organizations to create scale and bargaining power
Share best practices with other
organization
Build alliances, align advocacy
and complement programs to
amplify impact
Share resources to maximize
effectiveness and efficiency
 Advocate for global solidarity & international
cooperation with governments & other non-profits
(e.g., to share knowledge & capabilities in vaccine
development)
 Build collaborations with other key actors in the
ecosystem to deliver critical programming (e.g.,
large pharma on vaccine R&D, EdTech companies on
at-home schooling)
 Explore partnerships with other companies & non-
profits to optimize resources and, where possible,
consolidate point of contact with beneficiary to
minimize risk of transmission (e.g., leverage local
restaurants to deliver meals, deliver health and
financial inclusion services at the same time)
 Adjust program planning to create complementary
impact to other organizations and government effort
within the region
 Share inventory of health and safety critical items
with other INGOs to minimize program suspensions
 Build common repository with other non-profits and
organizations to share fraud warnings, detection
techniques and vetting of potential suppliers
 Collaborate with financial institutions to heighten
transparency & traceability of money transfers
 Set-up consortiums / collaborations with
complementary organization to award institutional
and corporate funding by addressing COVID-19 first-
and second-order effects at 360°
 Offer staff to support other organizations &
corporations to reduce financial pressure (e.g., cost-
sharing via shared services), and vice versa (e.g.,
deploy staff from other non-profits to support core
programming)
 Share non-monetary resources with other
organizations in the geography to use all assets
efficiently
Strength
of impact
Team health
and safety
Financial
resilience
Execution
clarity
Collaborative
implementation
Home page

8
Many companies
are offering free
collaboration
tools / licenses
for non-profit
organizations
Google Hangouts Premium is free through July 1
Microsoft Teams is available for free for six months
GoToMeeting is offering their remote work tools
free for three months
Nonprofits focused on fighting COVID-19 can
access three months of free Dropbox Premium
CISCO is boosting the capabilities of Webex free
version in countries where it is available
Slack pledged to make the paid version of its chat
app free to anyone supporting COVID-19 response
Home page

9
Explore BCG’s latest thought leadership
on Social Impact and navigating the
COVID-19 emergency on LinkedIn
An overview of BCG's COVID-19 thinking &
materials can be found on BCG.com
Click here to access
BCG on Social Impact
Click here to access
BCG's COVID-19 content

10
The situation surrounding COVID-19 is dynamic and rapidly evolving, on a daily basis. Although we have
taken great care prior to producing this presentation, it represents BCG’s view at a particular point in time.
This presentation is not intended to: (i) constitute medical or safety advice, nor be a substitute for the
same; nor (ii) be seen as a formal endorsement or recommendation of a particular response. As such you
are advised to make your own assessment as to the appropriate course of action to take, using this
presentation as guidance. Please carefully consider local laws and guidance in your area, particularly the
most recent advice issued by your local (and national) health authorities, before making any decision.

11
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BCG does not provide legal, accounting, or tax advice. The Client is responsible for obtaining independent advice
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to update these materials after the date hereof, notwithstanding that such information may become outdated
or inaccurate.
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operating assumptions will clearly impact the analyses and conclusions.

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