As the number of people infected with the COVID-19 virus (referred to colloquially as the “coronavirus”) increases throughout the United States, nonprofits are playing an important role in providing services and educating impacted communities about how to reduce their exposure and what to do if symptoms appear. Here are a few tips on how you can advocate around this issue.

Stick to the Facts

Public health nonprofits are best served in their communications by relying on facts from trusted nonpartisan sources. While the issue may be politicized by elected officials, candidates, and some media outlets, that does not give nonprofits license to exceed the boundaries imposed by federal tax law. If your 501(c)(3) is criticizing government officials for their response to this public health crisis, be careful to keep the election out of it.

Changing Strategic Landscape

As the number of event and conference cancellations mount and offices begin to shutter in favor of remote work, it’s important for advocates to think strategically about how this impacts their activities. In-person lobbying and advocacy is certain to be reduced, so consider options for online advocacy as a replacement. Using social media and other non-contact methods of communication may have to do in a time when the needs for “social distancing” outweigh the benefits of in-person connections.

Plan for Disruption, But Stick with Your Work

Although the COVID-19 threat is real and will disrupt how nonprofit advocates were planning their work through early 2020, it’s important not to lose sight of the bigger picture. We don’t know what the ultimate impact of COVID-19 will be in our communities, but the work of nonprofit health advocates will be critical during and after the crisis. Early preparation is the best course of action for advocacy during and after the COVID-19 situation.