Disaster Grantmaking

Disaster Overview Mexico experienced two major earthquakes in September 2017. The first, hitting the southern coast of Mexico on September 8th, was one of the biggest ever recorded in the area at a magnitude of 8.1. Only eleven days after this first major disastor, on September 19th, Mexico was hit…

On September 14, 2017, the Council on Foundations co-hosted a webinar with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and the Southeastern Council on Foundations to provide updates on U.S. damages and the situation throughout the Caribbean, and ways funders can address recovery needs. A panel of experts…

Disaster Overview Hurricane Harvey is the largest hurricane to hit the United States in a decade.  Hurricane Harvey made landfall near Rockport, Texas, as a Category 4 storm on August 25, 2017. The storm has led to significant, catastropic damage in Texas and along the Gulf Coast. There is…

Government, charities, and businesses are stepping up to respond to Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Jose. In the last week, a flood of new or updated resources were released just in time for National Preparedness Month. Here are some that the Council on Foundations is using to work with our members.…

Hit by one of the largest U.S. disasters since Hurricane Sandy, residents and communities in the State of Louisiana are experiencing historic flooding and need your help. Several deaths have been attributed to the flooding, tens of thousands of people have been evacuated, and thousands are…

Many Council members are working with nonprofit partners on the ground in countries and communities all over the world that are directly impacted by terrorist violence. Alongside partners like the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, the Council is tracking how and where philanthropy is…

Earthquakes rocked Ecuador, Japan, and Myanmar this past weekend, affecting thousands, and reminding all of us how vulnerable communities are to external disaster shocks. As reported by the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake struck northern…

Friends and Colleagues, Last December, I spoke of 2014 as a Year of Action, and it was! We began putting into place the programs, services, and staff we knew would provide value to our members. In 2015, we’ve begun to see these foundational investments pay off, and I hope you’ve begun to see how…

In the last year, there has been a spike in the number of refugees fleeing into Europe. There are still three-and-a-half months left in 2015, but the number of arriving refugees this year is already more than double the amount from all of 2014. The camps and centers that some refugees are…

Beginning in 2014, there has been a spike in the number of refugees arriving in Europe who are fleeing countries in conflict. During 2015, the number of arriving refugees has already more than doubled the amount of refugees who came to Europe in all of 2014. The unprecedented movement of people…

Some people are drawn to snow-covered mountain peaks, others to the lush canopies of forests a meandering river, a shimmering plain. For me it is the call of the sea. The endless horizon brings me peace and each wave  a grace note in our ecosystem’s symphony. It is the sea where I go to think…

As I've read and watched others' reflections on the tenth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina's destruction of a great American city, I'm compelled to tell some of my story. New Orleans is not a place where I practice grant making or convening, but it is a place near and dear to my heart, one I've…

Listen to a Recording of the Webinar     On April 25, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake rattled Nepal. About two weeks later, a second earthquake occurred in a nearby area that overlapped parts of the first disaster. The combined disasters killed more than 8,500 people and injured more than 18,…

On April 25, 2015 a 7.8 magnitude earthquake occurred in Nepal, in an area between the capitol city of Kathmandu and the city of Pokhara, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Tremors and aftershocks were felt across the region in India, Bangladesh, Tibet and on Mount Everest. As the world has…

Ask the Expert! Want to learn more about Disaster Philanthropy? Join us for a live chat Q&A on the Philanthropy Exchange with Regine Webster and Anna Hurt from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. For one hour, they will be on the Open Exchange ready to answer your questions about…