FROM CRISIS TO ACTION
Stop the Spread and ImpactAssets' Role in the COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Stop the Spread was an initiative launched in March 2020 to harness the power of the private and philanthropic sectors in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Founded by a group of CEOs and business leaders, it quickly grew to include over 1,400 executives, volunteers, donors, and experts.
In May 2020, Stop the Spread and ImpactAssets joined forces to activate private capital to address the evolving needs of the pandemic. This partnership combined ImpactAssets' organizational capacity and impact investment expertise with Stop the Spread's agile partnership model, enhancing their ability to respond effectively to the evolving crisis.
Stop the Spread continued to evolve in response to the pandemic to address community needs
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Create Vaccine Access
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Build Trust & Awareness
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Advance Heath Equity
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Catalyze for Impact
Addressing the Needs of Underserved Communities
COVID-19 had a disproportionate impact on underserved communities, which often experienced inequitable health and economic outcomes. Underserved communities included those with increased chronic health conditions, essential workers, housing instability and food insecurity. These communities needed a more comprehensive pandemic response.
Stop the Spread recognized that a one-size fits all response does not address underlying drivers of structural inequity and systemic racism. To address these disparities, Stop the Spread supported individual communities and neighborhoods that experienced critical gaps in their COVID-19 response by working through community partners to identify unmet needs and deploy resources.
IMPACT STORY: BUILDING VACCINE TRUST AND AWARENESS
Melody Lambus is a lifelong resident of South Jamaica in Queens, New York and a long-time worshipper at New Jerusalem Worship Center. She loves to be outside and knew that if she wanted to be around people, she would have to get vaccinated. As an amputee, accessibility was her highest priority when it came time to choose how and where she would get vaccinated.
"If it weren't for New Jerusalem, I would've had to wait another month at least to get vaccinated. I was looking into homebound vaccinations because I'm an amputee. When I learned that my home church was a vaccination site, I knew it'd be accessible. When I got there, I knew that I'd recognize staff."
Stop the Spread's hyperlocal strategy included partnering with churches that could serve as community vaccination and education sites that were safe, trusted and accessible.
Activating the Impact Investing and Philanthropic Community
To activate the impact investing and philanthropic community, ImpactAssets launched four COVID response funds for donors interested in supporting COVID relief and recovery efforts through grants and recoverable grants. As a result, we distributed over 100 donations totaling $2.8 million to people and businesses in need.
Stop the Spread Fund
Supporting Front-line Heroes
KEY FUNDING AREA:
Companies on the frontline of fighting of fighting the pandemic.
Preserve the Progress Fund
Supporting Mission-Critical Changemakers
KEY FUNDING AREA:
High impact climate and social-equity focused companies threated by the economic downturn; ensuring progress in these areas was retained and continued.
Business and Community Resilience Fund
Supporting Underserved Businesses and Individuals
KEY FUNDING AREA:
Small businesses in need of critical capital and the millions of people unemployed both domestically and globally with little access to government aid.
COVID Response Fund
This fund provided grants to all three critical areas of need including frontline heroes, mission-critical changemakers and underserved businesses and individuals.
#ImpInvResponds
In addition to raising our own funds, our focus was also to highlight the innovative companies who pivoted during the pandemic to support those most effected by the pandemic. We highlighted over 100 companies make a difference in this time of need.
Stop the Spread was Supported by:
Ecosystem Partners
