In moments of chaos, it’s natural for nonprofits to feel uncertain—unsure of what’s next and how to move forward. But uncertainty can also be a powerful catalyst for connection and action. During the COVID-19 pandemic, The Healthy Food Community of Practice doubled down on its efforts to bring nonprofits together and helped them build lasting relationships, collaborate in new ways, and innovate around shared challenges.

Today, with nonprofits facing both immediate funding challenges, rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) efforts, and the unknowns of the next four years, funders have a similar opportunity to step into the gap by convening grantee partners to strengthen collective action.

Innovations Sparked from Bringing Nonprofits Together

The Healthy Food Community of Practice was a group of 50 national and regional organizations that came together to connect, learn, share resources, and take collective action in support of local communities as they reimagined and rebuilt their food systems to thrive.

In 2020, just as the community was set to begin convening, the context for which they were initially created shifted in several meaningful and intersecting ways:

  • The COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill as people faced deep isolation in both their personal and professional lives,
  • The United States was grappling with a racial reckoning following the murder of George Floyd, and
  • There was uncertainty about the federal and local response as rates of food insecurity rose.

Over the lifetime of the Healthy Food Community of Practice, participating members found strength in the community. This space provided a rare opportunity to connect with peers and navigate the challenging time together. Through deep relationships, new partnerships, and shared learning, organizations gained insights and built connections they would not have otherwise developed. Some of the innovations that spurred through their work together included:

  • Research to Understand the Impact of Shifts in Benefits Enrollment: Shutdown orders during the pandemic made it impossible for individuals to enroll for SNAP and other benefits in person. At the same time, the number of people eligible for SNAP and other benefits increased as unemployment rates rose during the start of the pandemic. In response to this challenge, a subset of the community of practice came together to conduct research on the impact of temporary changes to benefits enrollment processes and recommendations for what should endure beyond the pandemic. Their recommendations included flexibility around virtual approaches to enrollment, emphasis on partnerships, and increased inclusivity through accommodations and supports. Doing this research together helped community members make meaning of the changes that were happening and anticipate how these changes could impact their organizations and the communities they serve.

Read the full article about bringing nonprofits together by Kaylyn Williams at Grantmakers in Health.