The pandemic has made for a difficult year for many non-profits. Traditional fundraising events have been impossible, and outreach has been limited. The SARAH Foundation and SARAH family of organizations have had to shoulder a long list of new expenses. Even as they have been able to resume many of their vital programs, they are still struggling to establish fundraising and outreach in the community.

The foundation’s annual May gala, which was postponed, is unlikely to find a new date, according to Executive Director Ken Alberti, and like many other non-profits, they have had a difficult time finding alternatives.

“It’s been really challenging,” Alberti said. “All our major events have been canceled, postponed...so that’s obviously a really challenging environment in terms of funding. We also rely on many local businesses and organizations, and many are obviously struggling just to survive through these times.”

The many programs and services provided by SARAH, including residential visits, day programs, and job placement services for adults and children living with disabilities have only recently resumed in-person work, Alberti said. That has come with a sharp increase in costs for personal protective equipment, and at the same time, the organizations can’t rely upon volunteer help the way they have done in the past.

A virtual comedy show and virtual bike ride were both successful collaborations that managed to bring in some money for the foundation, on which the other SARAH organizations depend to supplement their budgets, and Alberti said he is just starting to have conversations about some other very limited in-person events, though nothing is guaranteed.

Additionally, grants from the Guilford and Branford foundations have been extremely helpful in defraying some of these new costs, Alberti said.

“We’ve been trying to be supportive of each other, but it’s such a challenging environment that everyone is just trying to figure out what’s going on and at the end of the day—how do we weather this storm and come out the other end continuing to do the work we need to do?” Alberti said.

Alberti said there very possibly wasn’t going to be any more big events—either fundraisers or for clients—until at least next year, and said he and other non-profit leaders are looking for long-term replacements for things like galas or sports tournaments, so far without finding a clear answer.

“How do we generate funds and engage with folks in the community in a way that’s safe, where people feel comfortable doing it?” he asked. “I wish I had an answer. I wish I could say, ‘We’re going to do this, and it’s going to be great.’ But the confidence level on a lot of these things is not there.”

Right now, SARAH will be depending on both the kind of grants that come from community foundations as well as individual donations made by phone, mail, or online, without any exciting pageantry around them.

But those generous people are what allows SARAH to keep nurturing and lifting up its clients, even in a pandemic, Alberti said.

“It may be not as exciting or effective, but if folks are interested in supporting our mission and our programs, we would certainly welcome their support,” Alberti said.

For more information about SARAH agencies, the foundation, and programs or to donate, visit sarahfoundation.org.