National Council of Nonprofit Associations

Welcome to the National Council’s Toolkit on H1N1 Flu Preparedness for Nonprofits (2009) (updated November 16, 2009)

President Obama has declared the H1N1 flu to be a national emergency. His October 23, 2009, proclamation allows for temporary waivers that will allow health care facilities to implement emergency plans, "given that the rapid increase in illness across the Nation may overburden health care resources." By itself this declaration does not signal any reason to panic. But it does underscore the serious approach needed by all nonprofits to address the health challenges the flu presents for communities. In particular, schools and nonprofits providing residential services, child care, elder care and health services are likely to be the hardest hit on the client side, but any nonprofit can be seriously impacted when its own staff and volunteers contract the flu.

Nonprofits are needed as leaders in our communities in the fight against the flu. This toolkit is designed to help board and staff leaders recognize that they are responsible to ensure the continuity of the nonprofit's business operations and that increasing flu activity as we have seen in recent weeks can have a serious impact on mission fulfillment. We hope this Flu Toolkit will be a helpful resource for your nonprofit, for your employees, and for your volunteers. Stay well!

This toolkit will provide you with:

1. NEW! Guidance on common questions relating to wages and payment of workers who may be affected by the flu, such as: "How are wages impacted when the office is closed because of the flu?" and "Can a worker be asked to conduct duties that are beyond the job description because of a shortage of other workers?"
2. NEW! Guidance on whether the being out of work to care for someone with the flu, or because you have the flu yourself, counts as Family Leave.
3. The LATEST news from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) on seasonal influenza and the H1N1 pandemic.
4. Flu Vaccine locator, state by state.
5. NEW! The Zen of Handwashing, brought to you by Blue Avocado.
6. Flu essentials in various languages.
7. Flier: Seasonal and H1N1 Flu Guide for Parents.
8. Factsheet and flier for employees: What you should know about antiviral drugs.
9. Podcast: "Take 3 Actions to Fight Flu."
10. Suggested action steps to help your association and your members be prepared for and cope with an outbreak of the flu.
11. Tips for preparedness.
12. Sample policies for the nonprofit workplace.
13. Ideas for educating your employees.
14. Customize a letter to your employees.
15. Send a letter to your members telling them about how serious the flu outbreak is and sharing the resources developed by the National Council with them.
16. Business Planning/Continuity Planning.
17. Articles and Other Resources.
18. More information on vaccinations: Updates on vaccinations, medications and masks
    - More about the Flu Vaccine
    -How the flu vaccine impacts seniors
    -Understanding your treatment options
19. Free Stuff from the CDC – Videos, podcasts, brochures to download, e-badges and buttons to add to emails and other communications.