SPRING FEATURE
JLW RESPONDS TO COVID-19 WITH CARE, FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE, AND SUPPORT
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Danielle Muenzfeld and Mary Grace McCormick
n spring 2020, with the COVID-19 pandemic raging, the leaders of the 2019-2020 Junior League of Washington (JLW) Board of Directors initiated their pandemic response plan, the Community Assistance Task Force (CATF). The plan consisted of three components: JLW Member Care, the Community Assistance Fund, and the Community Support Project. The JLW Board of Directors selected each component so that the League’s overall response plan reflected its commitment to its members, community, and mission during the pandemic crisis. According to Amanda Walke, 2020-2021 President-Elect, “JLW worked within its process to be really responsive and to do something different.” By acting nimbly, Walke explained, JLW has been able to responsively and responsibly address the needs of the community and its members.
JLW MEMBER CARE JLW leadership recognizes that many of its members have been impacted in various ways by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a member-based organization, JLW leadership included Member Care as a focus area of its COVID-19 response. One significant aspect of the Member Care efforts was providing intentional programming to help JLW members during these challenging and often isolating times. Chloe Taylor, Membership Development Council Director, explained that JLW has “pivoted our programming and doubled down on making sure there are several connection points for members virtually.” Taylor emphasized the need for JLW pro-
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Spring 2021
gramming to continue to meet members where they are. JLW has been thinking through membership programming to ensure that it is of interest to members and is substantive, and that some events incorporate wellness aspects. JLW has hosted a panoply of virtual events for its members, from Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion events to “Zip Code parties,” where JLW members who live nearby connect virtually; fitness classes to book club meet-ups; and 28 day challenges focused on baking, burpees, creative expression, and meditation. One surprise hit was a marathon viewing of the popular television show Schitt’s Creek, which had a 50+ member waiting list. The virtual format has made it much easier to reach more members because attendees do not have to commute to a specific location and because the size of events are not constrained to the capacity of a physical location. For example, for General Membership Meetings (GMM), JLW typically seeks donated spaces that can fit between 200 and 300 people. This League year, GMM attendance has averaged between 300 and 400 members. Overall, the Development & Training (D&T) Committee saw an increase in event attendance of 246% through early February 2021. Prior to the onset of COVID-19 shutdowns, JLW events often included social time prior to events. D&T, however, has shifted the allotted social time to after the conclusion of the event. Taylor explained that this “gives members fodder to start the conversation [with JLW members] and have that social time.” Through thoughtful planning, JLW has provided many ways for its members to connect with each other,
learn new skills, and expand their horizons safely from home. Additionally, JLW has sought to ensure that League members are able to sustain active membership. One way JLW has done this is through creating a new, flexible dues payment plan and encouraging League members to apply for dues scholarships if needed. JLW continues to look for ways to support its members so they can succeed within and outside of the League.
COMMUNITY ASSISTANCE FUND (CAF) JLW leaders knew that they wanted to give back to the DC community. The loss of income streams overnight placed many DC-area nonprofits in an incredibly vulnerable position. For many of these nonprofits, it was not simply a matter of needing financial aid, but needing it quickly in order to stay fiscally sound. With that in mind, the outgoing 20192020 Board of Directors created the Community Assistance Fund which would allow the incoming 2020-2021 Board to mobilize funds for nonprofits experiencing need. On June 1, 2020, JLW published a grant application. In less than a month, 62 nonprofits had applied for approximately $1.2 million in requested aid. Working over a number of weeks, President-Elect Amanda Walke and a small, nimble committee of presidentially appointed members evaluated applications on a rolling basis. Speed of support and need were determining factors in the selection of recipients. As Task Force member Amy Shuart Gingrich remarked, “The Board gave us specific criteria to focus on COVID related needs. We were looking for places where we felt the dollars would do the most good and
