There really is no substitute for planning and preparedness when it comes to effective disaster response. An hour you spend today could save days in response time when time is most critical. Here are four good reads to start:
- The Jessie Ball duPont Fund’s Creating Order From Chaos: Roles for Philanthropy in Disaster Planning and Response, was published earlier this year and contains learnings from the massive tornado disaster in Alabama last spring.
- Best Practices in Disaster Grantmaking: Lessons from the Gulf Coast, was published by the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers (now Philanthropy New York) in 2008. It describes the philanthropic responses to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita that were deemed “successful” by funders and grantees, and offers recommended practices that can be applied to future disasters.
- Disaster Grantmaking: A Practical Guide for Foundations and Corporations, published by the Council on Foundations, provides eight principles of good disaster management, as well as a number of tips and practical suggestions for disaster grantmaking.
- Philanthropic Grantmaking for Disasters: Lessons Learned at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, was published in March 2012 and reviews best practices and options this foundation has explored in disaster response, including using loans in addition to grantmaking for recovery.
Looking for more ideas for philanthropic responses to disasters, including ways to support Hurricane Sandy relief and recovery? Check out What Funders Can Do to Aid Hurricane Recovery (in your community or elsewhere), and Disaster Preparedness: Are You Ready For The Unexpected?, as well as our recent posts 6 Things Grantmakers Can Do Right Now To Help Hurricane Sandy Relief and 8 Longer-Term Ideas for Funding Disaster Recovery.
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Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2012
