Mobilization of community-based organizations during Covid-19: Perceptions of barriers and needed supports

Human ecosystem disruptions such as Covid-19 and natural disasters increase existing health disparities among communities that have been historically underserved by healthcare systems, especially communities of color. Community-based organizations (CBOs) are well-placed to mobilize effective responses to local needs, which may mitigate the impact of human ecosystem disruptions on disparities. The purpose of this study was to explore CBO leaders’ perspectives on responding to community needs during human ecosystem disruptions, with the goal of informing entities that plan to support or partner with CBOs to maximize the effectiveness of disaster responding. Interview respondents were 31 adults with roles in human-serving organizations across two cities in disaster-prone regions and with populations that score highly across several indices for social vulnerability. Barriers that CBOs encountered included bureaucracy and procedural obstacles, lack of awareness of the work and resources of other organizations, and reduced operational capacity due to Covid-19. Strategies to support CBOs included increased funding and enhanced networking with other organizations. To mitigate the disparate impacts of human ecosystem disruptions, public and private funders should increase flexibility in funding to rapidly respond to emerging needs, and community agencies and institutions should proactively collaborate to build cross-agency infrastructure for communication, sharing resources, and referrals.