CDP COVID-19 Response Fund

Ever since the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2020, people worldwide have been contemplating the coronavirus’ immediate and long-term impacts on their physical and mental health, personal lives, communities, and livelihoods.

The same month as the WHO declaration, we launched our COVID-19 Response Fund to support containment, response and recovery activities for those most affected and to save lives, prevent and reduce human suffering, and restore dignity to affected populations.

CDP's flexible, adaptive approach deploys contributions to thoughtfully and rapidly address urgent issues while constantly monitoring and reassessing individual and community needs in the U.S. and worldwide. Share on X

As of August 2024, we have distributed more than 200 grants totaling $44,693,297 to more than 170 organizations working in the U.S. and abroad, including grants to fund projects in collaboration with other CDP funds.

(Photo: New American Pathways)

The CDP COVID-19 Response Fund focuses on supporting nonprofit organizations in the United States and abroad. In the U.S., the fund has focused on assisting low-income households including those living in poverty; small businesses; immigrants; older adults; people with disabilities; Black, Native American, Indigenous and other communities of color; other at-risk and underserved communities more vulnerable to the physical health and safety, psycho-social, educational and economic impacts of the pandemic. Internationally, our COVID-19 response work focuses on similar issues and populations in terms of the primary and secondary impacts of COVID19, with additional focus on internally displaced populations and refugees, religious and ethnic minorities, women, children, malnourished infants, the extreme poor and other underserved and at-risk individuals, families and communities. Our goal is to identify and help address the most urgent, pressing needs and ensure medium- and long-term recovery from the effects of COVID-19 and build individuals’, communities’ and government’s capacity to prevent, mitigate and withstand future impacts. CDP is constantly analyzing the evolving context across the globe and working closely with industry experts,  governments, nongovernmental organizations and other partners to track both current and emergent needs, and to ensure that we fund programs that have maximum impact for those most in need. Focus areas initially included supporting health care and other frontline workers, quarantined and especially marginalized individuals, and small businesses. We also funded much-needed hygiene promotion activities (WASH) and community-based care. Over time this support has evolved, in line with the changing context and needs, and we fund a wide range of program activities such as vaccine promotion and administration, combatting misinformation and vaccine hesitancy and building vaccine confidence, supporting children and teachers with the shift to online teaching, including ensuring children are safe and protected online, and providing training and support to ensure the hardest hit economically are able to re-enter the workforce and re-establish their livelihoods.

This fund supports this disaster:

Supporting health care systems/infrastructure

We continue to provide: training and equipment for frontline and community health workers; health service facilities in camps for refugees and internally displaced people, surge medical teams and equipment to hospitals and clinics in areas where there is a supply shortage or triage is needed; and logistical and material support for testing and vaccination sites and health care facilities. We also provide support to our partners to work with governments around the world on improving coordination efforts and drafting new health care policies that reduce the risk and address the impacts of COVID-19.

Ensuring mental and physical health

Providing support for ongoing health care needs, access to care for chronic conditions, and providing accurate information on vaccines and how to protect ourselves and each other are critical to maintaining the overall health of individuals, families and communities and preventing the spread of the virus and therefore sickness and death.

Mitigating economic impacts

We continue to provide funding for training and support of vulnerable individuals and families who have lost their livelihood; wage earners and workers in the gig economy; farmers and pastoralists; small, community-based businesses and/or entrepreneurs driving local economies; and social service organizations that provide economic opportunity programs for disproportionately affected populations as they see the needs for their services grow.

Ensuring continuity of access to quality education

We provide training and support for teachers and parents who have had to learn to navigate and provide education in an online or remote format.

With support from our COVID-19 Response Fund, our grantee partners are helping affected communities rebuild stronger.

See all grantee partners

Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership

Read the story

More stories

See all stories

Thank you to the following donors for their generous support of the CDP COVID-19 Response Fund.

Google logo
Target Logo
Coca-Cola Foundation
Crown Family Philanthropies
IMC logo
Qualcomm Foundation logo
Verizon logo
  • 3M Foundation
  • Acushnet Company
  • Alexion Pharmaceuticals
  • Alice Lawler
  • American Century Investments / NBC Sports
  • Apax Foundation
  • AstraZeneca
  • Baker & Hostetler, LLP
  • Bohemian Foundation
  • Breckinridge Capital Advisors
  • Bright Funds Foundation
  • Cedar Cares
  • Endeavor Foundation
  • Faegre Drinker Biddle & Reath LLP
  • First Republic Bank
  • Foresite Capital Management
  • Gerald L. Lennard Foundation, Inc.
  • Grubhub Holdings Inc.
  • Hartford Financial Services Group
  • Hawkin Dynamics
  • Hellman & Friedman LLP (H&F Gives Foundation)
  • Interactive Brokers
  • International E-Z Up Inc.
  • Jody Kaminsky
  • La Prairie Group US
  • Lade Family Charitable Fund
  • Lakeside Foundation
  • Legg Mason
  • Linksoul
  • Lundbeck Pharmaceuticals
  • LUXCO
  • Marin Community Foundation
  • Mark Anthony Group Inc.
  • Matthew W. Quigley
  • Metal Blade Records Inc.
  • Micro Focus
  • Mizuho Financial Group
  • National Philanthropic Trust
  • New York Life Foundation
  • Northrop Grumman Corp
  • Onzie Inc.
  • Padosi Foundation
  • PGA Tour Charities Inc.
  • Philadelphia Insurance Companies
  • The Pittsburgh Foundation
  • PNT Financial, LLC
  • Positive Tracks
  • Radian Group
  • Randy Greenberg
  • Robert and Maurine Rothschild Fund, Inc.
  • Simone Lichty
  • Sorinex Exercise Equipment Inc.
  • Sunovion Pharmaceuticals Inc.
  • Susan Templeton
  • T. Rowe Price Foundation Inc.
  • The Barbara and William Rosenthal Family Foundation
  • The Barbara Epstein Foundation Inc.
  • The Clearing House
  • The Hershey Company
  • The Kingsberg Foundation
  • The LuLu Foundation
  • The Solich Fund (Four Point Energy)
  • The UPS Foundation, Inc.
  • Three Friends Fund
  • Traders4ACause
  • TriNet
  • Tullett Prebon Holdings Corp - TP ICAP
  • UKG
  • Universal Screen Arts Company
  • Westfield Insurance Foundation
  • Wheeler Foundation
  • Zegar Family Foundation

Show more

Your support has a direct and significant impact on our efforts to minimize the impact of COVID-19 on communities worldwide.

Read impact stories

Connect with us

For more information on the situation and to learn about available resources, contact Sally Ray, Director, Domestic Funds. To make a gift or learn more about the Fund, please contact our Development Team. (Photo: Nicole Musto, RN, an oncology nurse, wearing her COVID‐19 PPE. Source: American Nurses Foundation)

Fund updates

See them all

Fund resources

See them all