Alliances in Disaster Recovery: FEMA and Foundations Collaborate for Resilience

In this webinar, we learned how your foundation can complement FEMA's disaster recovery efforts in your community. To recover successfully from major natural disasters, coordination of public, private, and philanthropic resources is important to avoid duplication of effort and to deepen the array of supports available to communities. Disaster funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) are declared quickly but are not necessarily the fastest available dollars for assistance to individuals for lifeline support. In this session, FEMA Philanthropic Advisors and Coordinating Officers joined three community foundations to share how they are currently working together on long-term recovery plans in communities impacted by recent wildfires in the West and tornado and flood events in Kentucky and Tennessee. Learn how and when FEMA dollars flow after disaster declarations are issued and what government funding programs are available to communities for long-term planning and future mitigation.  

Speakers

Zak Usher
Acting Deputy Director, Individual Assistance Division
FEMA

Myra M. Shird, Ph.D.
Federal Coordinating Officer, Region IV (Atlanta)
FEMA

Denise Morgan Gilliam
Philanthropic Advisor, Interagency Coordination Division, Recovery Directorate
FEMA

Chris Dockins, PhD
COO
Community Foundation of West Kentucky

Amy Fair
Vice President of Donor Services
Community Foundation of Middle Tennesee

Jovanni Tricerri
Vice President of Programs
North Valley Community Foundation