Foundations often play an essential role in disaster relief and recovery. Not only do foundations provide grants and help raise money, they also use their experience and expertise to help civic leaders and responders distribute aid and rebuild communities.

Our disaster grantmaking resource page provides a primer on disaster philanthropy and access to an array of resources from Council members and peer organizations to assist in the three phases of disaster response and recovery:

• Immediate relief: In the immediate aftermath of a disaster, foundations, government agencies, nonprofits, and volunteers rally to provide food, shelter, water, medical care, and clothing to survivors, and to account for and bury the dead.
• Short-term recovery: Press coverage and donations peak during the immediate aftermath of a disaster. But when the public attention begins to wane, the critical recovery work begins. Philanthropic investments help provide food, health, and social services, including safe drinking water, temporary or transitional shelter, and sanitation facilities and other services for victims and survivors of the disaster.
• Long-term rebuilding: In many communities hit by disasters, it takes several years to rebuild physical infrastructure, restore the natural environment, and rehabilitate the lives of those who are among the hardest hit. Funders can play a key role in rebuilding by making strategic investments that can address chronic social and environmental challenges in the community or region.

How is the Council involved?
The Council seeks to provide its members and the broader philanthropic community with the tools and access to resources to respond in the most effective manner in the wake of disasters. We have a partnership with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy to provide members with up-to-date resources as disasters occur and provide a philanthropic response repository where funders can share their response efforts and learn how others are responding.

The Council and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy co-host webinars and conference calls and offer customized advice to help funders get relevant information about disaster response. We also share best practices in disaster response, recovery, rebuilding, and mitigation.

Resources

Access disaster grantmaking resources on our site.