UPDATED October 21, 2020 — The team at Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropies (MACP) has been closely monitoring the ongoing developments related to COVID-19, and we are committed to the safety and wellbeing of our staff, partners, and communities in which we work.
In our efforts to support global efforts to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, we are implementing several changes that we want to share:
- We have moved to a fully remote workplace, and our physical office is closed. We have extended our time away from the office, and we do not expect to return before the end of first quarter, 2021.
- While MACP’s building will be closed, our operations and activities will continue, and our employees are prepared to work remotely. We do not anticipate significant changes in our work plans or processes at this time and will do all that we can to respond to requests or questions in a timely manner. That said, we appreciate your patience if it takes us longer than usual to get back to you.
- While we have postponed previously scheduled travel, site visits, and in-person meetings or conferences, staff will be available by email and phone, and we will be happy to arrange conference calls and video meetings as needed.
- As COVID-19 continues to spread, we recognize there will be an impact to many of our grantees’ programmatic work. We ask current grantees to please keep their Program Officer informed of these changes so we can help support your work by updating our internal grantmaking notes and discussing any longer-term implications for our work together. We recognize that these are extraordinary times, and we want to help you achieve your goals through this challenging period. Learn more about how MACP is responding to COVID-19.
We will do all that we can to respond to requests in a timely manner. If you do need to reach out to a MACP staff member, we prefer that you do so through email rather than by phone. Any messages left on an individual employee’s voicemail will be forwarded to that staff member via email, but as we all work remotely, it will be easier to keep others on the team informed if we communicate electronically whenever possible.
If you have specific questions or concerns, please reach out to your primary MACP contact, or if you are unsure who to contact, please send us a message through our general mailbox: info@macphil.org.
Our brand promise at MACP is Engage. Build Trust. Make a Difference. While we strive to live these words every day at the Philanthropies, this is a time when they have become even more central to our organization. With engagement at our core, we will work to ensure continued collaboration within MACP and with our partners. These efforts will continue to help us build strong, trusting relationships, and to make the difference that was so important to our founder, Margaret Cargill.
As we all well know, the COVID-19 outbreak is an evolving situation, and our transition to a remote work environment will require ongoing adjustments and flexibility. We will do our very best to avoid interruptions or delays in our efforts to support grantees and other partners. Your work is more important than ever in these challenging times.
Thank you for your ongoing patience and support.
Regards,
Paul Busch
President & CEO
Margaret A Cargill Philanthropies
