I think BSs will survive Covid, but ask me again after the election.
Dealing with health and safety due to a serious pandemic will be challenging enough on every front for all schools, but when you add an election year and a very popular platform or desire to " transform" an entire nation and its economy at the same time… challenging times due to Covid doesn’t quite capture everything most schools are up against right now - and that’s really the big elephant in the room.
I have no doubt BSs can handle Covid, but both at the same time? IDK- but financially ( not politically ) speaking - it’s like a perfect storm at the worst possible time.
Election Year Giving is always lackluster due to SOME uncertainty- even though much of it is baked in and lost ground can always be made up, but there’s never been uncertainty like this - and all BSs need big bucks right now for Covid .
Major Trusts ( that many schools heavily rely on ) have already reevaluated or are currently reevaluating future giving because of polls, potential policy, and the political landscape ( which they have a duty to do annually anyway ) and many have already read the tealeaves for November and scaled way back on all future commitments . Will a retreat of this kind be fatal ? Probably not, but make no mistake- it’s going to hurt- a lot .
FWIW - and I mention this for young people because this came up in a discussion recently when a young adult ( recent college grad staying with us ) suggested that all financial ( namely trust ) commitments are locked in or should be locked in no matter the weather - thus any type of financial storm brought on by one political party or election would be moot for all colleges, PDSs, and BSs … Well, no - maybe there are still a few trusts from the dark ages written that way, but most trusts have a clear and clean out so commitments can be dissolved upon notice or changed at anytime at the sole discretion of the trust for any reason.
I’ve seen longtime big trust/ donor relationships abruptly end over much less… like " safe space " rooms equipped with coloring books and crayons for college students. But I digress…
Right now- I’m hearing some major trusts are pulling up stakes or they’re adjusting by ( lowering) their contributions considerably or in the planning phase to do so.
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any worse - individual donors ( new and old ) are also very difficult to engage right now because they’re definitely holding back until after November.
So yeah… in addition to Covid, this is really serious because who do you replace these people or trusts with?
Unfortunately, this will hit the students who need the most, and it’s absolutely devastating when you think about it . All schools really need trusts and individual donors to step up big now, but ( in their defense ) Our Country has never had full on socialism on a big party platform before, so people are obviously doing what’s best for their families and their bottomline , and they’re planning for it.
It is what it is- and we’ll see what happens. The last real threat to BS was Jimmy Carter, so we had a good run! I wish I was kidding!! 
And BTW - this post isn’t meant to be political ( I really don’t care who or what you vote for because that’s your business ) , so please don’t make it into something it’s not.
We’re all adults and this is just reality … because it’s actually happening now.
Like my Dad used to say : And so it goes…