Responding to the urgent need during the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 Emergency Relief
2020-2021
Launched on March 13, 2020, our COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund provided Bay Area grantees ongoing support and the resources needed to respond to the rising challenges in the fight against poverty during this unprecedented moment. Leveraging the expert knowledge of our ~40 grantee leaders, we made timely and strategic investments—both in our grantees and in new organizations to provide essential assistance to low-income people disproportionately affected by the pandemic, and the nonprofits they relied upon. We continued our operating and capacity building support of our grantees, while also providing timely investments to combat food insecurity, distribute personal protective equipment, and provide cash assistance to workers who lost wages.
$26.5 Million Invested in 2020
In addition to $26.5 million invested in our community in 2020, we deployed $7.9 million in COVID-19 emergency relief funds.
Project Overview
For 15 years, Tipping Point has built deep partnerships with the most effective housing, early childhood, education, and employment nonprofits that serve more than 250,000 low-income people across the Bay Area. Our first calls were to our portfolio’s 40+ frontline leaders as soon as it was clear what immediate and long-term impact COVID-19 was going to have on our community. We began by convening weekly meetings with this group of leaders to hear directly from them about what was happening on the ground and the dynamic needs that were emerging. They provided real-time expertise to inform our investments.
These grantees acted as first responders then, and still do today, often going beyond their core programming to provide whatever support their clients need—especially in the midst of a crisis. Tipping Point emergency grants allowed organizations to provide immediate cash assistance for their clients to pay for essentials, and fund unanticipated needs. Target populations included: families with children 0-3, students; foster youth, workers who lost jobs; vulnerable populations (undocumented, food insecure); people who experienced homelessness or were at risk of homelessness; people who were formerly incarcerated; and pregnant women/birthing people. The grants also enabled nonprofits to quickly pivot to continue key programming during the early days of the crisis and beyond.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Provided Resources to Organizations on the Frontlines
Weekly connections with our grantees allowed us to deliver timely resources, like facilitating bulk acquisition and donation opportunities such as providing 45,000 diapers, 15,000 face masks, and 5,000 infrared thermometers to our grantees to keep clients and staff safe.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Addressed the Service Provider Shortage
COVID-19 presented a pressing challenge to an already urgent crisis as individuals experiencing homelessness were not given resources to “shelter-in-place,” maintain good hygiene, or keep safe physical distance. Tipping Point supported the San Francisco Homelessness and Supportive Housing Services Department by engaging professional recruiters that supported HSH in building a program that quickly identified and filled essential positions in the department to maintain critical services.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Supported Families with Young Children During Lockdown
During lockdown when parents were forced to balance childcare while working, Early Learning Specialists at ParentChild+ pivoted to connect with families virtually to provide critical early childhood care to low-income parents and their young children. And with support from Tipping Point, they were able to maintain in-person touchpoints, even through a drive-through with the distribution of items like food, diapers, and cleaning supplies.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Stimulus Support for People Experiencing Homelessness
To receive the COVID-19 stimulus through the federal CARES Act, you needed a mailing address, bank account, or ID which left many who were eligible for aid unable to receive it. Tipping Point tested a simple program and toolkit to help trusted frontline organizations guide people experiencing homelessness through the process to access this vital government aid and overcome common obstacles.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Schools Going Above and Beyond to Support Families
During COVID-19, many schools serving low-income families acted as support systems—even more so than usual—going above and beyond to provide access to food, personal protective equipment, and cash assistance to cover rent and utility bills. Through Tipping Point’s emergency grants, these lifeline schools were able to provide these and other vital resources to meet their students’ needs.
Grantees
Alameda County Community Food Bank
Asian Pacific Islander Legal Outreach
Aspire Public Schools
Bay Area Community Services
Bay Area Legal Aid
Beyond 12
Boys + Girls Clubs of San Francisco – Tenderloin Clubhouse
Caliber Schools
Canal Alliance
Catholic Charities East Bay
Center for Employment Opportunities
Center for Youth Wellness
Centro Legal de la Raza
Chinatown Community Development Center
City Year San Jose/Silicon Valley
City of Dreams
Coalition on Homelessness
Code Tenderloin
Community Housing Partnership
Community Solutions for Children, Families and Individuals
Compass Family Services
Contra Costa Regional Health Foundation
COVID-19 BLACK Initiative
Cross Cultural Family Center
Dine11
East Bay Community Law Center
East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation
East Oakland Collective
East San Jose PEACE Partnership
Episcopal Community Services
Faithful Fools
Family Independence Initiative
Felton Institute
First Place for Youth
Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano Counties
Fresh Lifelines for Youth
Growth Sector
Homeless Prenatal Program
Hospitality House
iMentor
Innovate Public Schools
Jewish Vocational Service (JVS)
JobTrain
John Burton Advocates for Youth
KIPP
Larkin Street Youth Services
Law Foundation of Silicon Valley
Life Learning Academy
LifeMoves
Loaves and Fishes of Contra Costa
Low Income Investment Fund
Mission Asset Fund
Monument Crisis Center
Monument Impact
National Center for Youth Law (NCYL)
New Door Ventures
Next Step Learning Center
Nurse-Family Partnership
On The Move
OneGoal
Opportunity Junction
ParentChild+
Pivotal
PRC
Public Health Institute
RCF Connects
Richmond District Neighborhood Center
Rocketship Public Schools
Samoan Community Development Center
San Francisco Pretrial Diversion Project
SF State Guardian Scholars Program
SHELTER, Inc.
SOMOS Mayfair
Southeast Asian Development Center
Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center
The Bread Project
The Oakland REACH
Trinity Center
Unity Council
United Playaz
Up on Top
Upwardly Global
Urban Alchemy
WestCoast Children’s Clinic
West Contra Costa Public Education Fund
White Pony Express
Year Up
Young Community Developers (YCD)
YMCA of the East Bay
Youth First
Youth Uprising
Corporate Sponsors
