Share

The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly impacted the international and domestic economies. Thus, many organizations, private individuals, religious institutions, and governments have created different charitable drives, concerts, and other events to lessen the economic impact felt.

George Soros directed his Open Society Foundation to create a funding package of $130 million to support workers and their families in New York City, emergency relief to vulnerable workers across the world, and countering disinformation amongst other causes. Mark Zuckerberg and his wife Priscilla Chan, directed their foundation Chan Zuckerberg Initiative to donate $1 million in relief with a quarter of the amount to go to the Wilcox Medical Center, and the remainder going to helping the community on Kauai. Jeff Bezos donated $100 million to Feeding America non-profit.

On April 18, 2020, celebrities such as Lady Gaga, Elton John, Stevie Wonder, and Andrea Bocelli came together to Livestream a concert for the World Health Organization in support of the organization’s general fund. While the event was broadcast, philanthropists and companies were encouraged to contribute to the fund, although some had already contributed about $150 million to it prior to the airing of the program.[On World Health Day, Sean McLoughlin, an Irish YouTuber was the main organizer for the #HopeFromHome program that brought together entertainers, influencers, gamers, and other creators from YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and TikTok.to help Americans facing food insecurity during the pandemic.

Other celebrities have created clothing lines based around the pandemic with the proceeds donated to the World Health Organizations Fund, such as Harry Styles T-shirt campaign and Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively’s T-shirt campaign. Misha Collins revamped his week-long scavenger hunt; GISH, into a day-long Play-At-Home hunt with the registration fee being used to provide meals for children who have lost food access due to the shutdowns.NBA Charlotte Hornets player Bismarck Biyombo donated over $1 million worth of medical supplies to his home county of the Democratic Republic of Congo, and New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson announced via Instagram that he would help cover the salaries of all those who worked at the team stadium while the games were canceled.

Starbucks committed $10 million to a newly created Starbucks Global Partner Emergency Relief Program to specifically work for its workers facing extreme hardships as a result of COVID-19 and allow them to have access to emergency support. Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey committed $1 billion worth of equity of his digital payment platform Square to his Start Small LLC to fund COVID-19 relief around the world. The Philadelphia Eaglesmatched a $1 million donation to COVID-19 relief efforts to the $1 million donations that the team’s owner, Jeffrey Lurie did

Other companies have created specific lines of products to sell during the pandemic with 100% of the sales being donated to a specific organization or charity to help offset the COVID-19 pandemic. PopSockets donated their proceeds from their limited run to Doctors Without Borders and Feeding America, a Houston-based jewelry brand Golden Thread donated the proceeds of their Community collection to Houston Food Bank, a partner of Feeding America.

Other organizations such as the World Health Organization urged for donations that would go to the COVID-19 Solidarity Response Fund, a central fund to aid for critical response efforts worldwide. The Actors Fund, an emergency fund for essential medication costs and basic living expenses live-streamed The Phantom of the Opera at London’s Royal Albert Hall starring Ramin Karimloo, Sierra Boggess, and Hadley Fraser, on Youtube to provide entertainment and raise funds.

In an effort to lessen the impact for the animals in their care, local animal shelters, and rescue groups across the world have lessened services and pushed for animal adoption or fostering during the pandemic. Shelters used the lack of animals in their care due to community response, to help distribute pet food to those unable to purchase food for their pets either due to economic or health-based concerns. Some organizations remained partially open in an effort to help the families of essential employees or the homeless populations in the area. The YMCA in certain areas opened the bathroom and shower facilities during certain hours for the homeless populations.