COVID-19 Action Agenda: Why Social Entrepreneurs Are Needed Now More than Ever

As the massive scale of the COVID-19 pandemic became apparent, social entrepreneurs across the world, including many Skoll Awardees, have stood on the frontlines as first responders in this time of unparalleled crisis. They were able to bring affordable healthcare to those in need, protected livelihoods, and provided emergency relief swiftly.

To date, there are over 20 million reported COVID-19 cases—a third of whom in Africa, Brazil, or India. Marginalized communities across the world are hit hardest by the health and economic impacts of this crisis, and will continue to struggle. The pandemic has much deeper impact on these communities as evidenced by the World Bank’s Projected Poverty Impacts: an additional 100 million people could slip into extreme poverty—a number that could easily climb higher.

“We are now in a defining moment as a global community that requires a rapid shoring up of our collective strength to provide immediate support to those hardest hit by the pandemic, while reimagining a prosperous and sustainable world for all. We call on our fellow funders to take the bold actions and risks that philanthropy is uniquely placed to deliver.”

-Don Gips, CEO, Skoll Foundation

For social entrepreneurs to lead during this crisis, they need each of us—funders, investors, corporations, supporting intermediaries, and governments alike—to provide the capital, support, and ecosystem to adapt, continue, and expand their work.

To that end, the Skoll Foundation has joined 60 organizations to launch the COVID Response Alliance for Social Entrepreneurs, initiated by Schwab Foundation, in partnership with the GHR Foundation and Yunus Social Business. The goal of the Alliance is to Support social entrepreneurs who protect the most vulnerable in the crisis and shape the transition to a new normal in its aftermath.

“As the pandemic disproportionately impacts marginalized communities in real time, social entrepreneurs confront these inequities by reimagining the systems that work for too few of us. By joining forces to foster change using an alliance-based model, we have a real chance of transforming the world.”

-Cheryl Dorsey, President, Echoing Green, USA, and Skoll Foundation Board Member

Today the Alliance released its COVID-19 Action Agenda to call on their peers to stand by social entrepreneurs in their capacity as front-line responders to the health crisis and as pioneers of a green, inclusive society and economic system. Along with a group of social enterprise representatives participating in the Alliance, the members have identified five core COVID response principles and concrete areas in which different actors can take action:

• Make the voices of social entrepreneurs and their communities heard
• Prepare to respond, recover, and reset – taking the opportunity to shape a new tomorrow
• Collaborate across sectors in recognition of the complexity and scale of the crisis
• Look beyond healthcare, given that COVID-19 touches all areas of people’s lives
• Support the shovel-ready solutions that grassroots organizations are already able to
  provide today.

Explore the full report for insights and recommendations tailored to supporting intermediaries, impact investors, corporations, funders, and government institutions. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented actions. We urge you to join us and other members of the Alliance to take bold and immediate action.