It’s heart wrenching to see images of a disaster aftermath on TV, like the one we’re still watching in the wake of Hurricane Sandy. It’s even more heartbreaking when it happens in your neighborhood. What are the best and most effective ways for a grantmaker to help?
Here are 6 things you can do right now:
1. Follow updates on recovery needs and ways to engage via the recently launched Center for Disaster Philanthropy.
2. Make a donation: A few places to consider are the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Hurricane Sandy Disaster Fund, Red Cross, or the United Way Hurricane Sandy Recovery Fund.
3. Use the Council on Foundations’ Community Foundation Locator to find community foundations in affected areas to which you can send aid. Search by region, state or zip code.
4. Get updates and resource links from your regional association’s website, or the website of a regional association in an affected area:
- Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers
- Connecticut Council for Philanthropy
- Council of New Jersey Grantmakers
- Delaware Valley Grantmakers
- Philanthropy New York
5. Participate in grantmaker conference calls: Philanthropy New York and Council of New Jersey Grantmakers are holding meetings and conference calls for foundations to share information about relief efforts:
- Philanthropy New York is organizing a meeting of foundations and nonprofits building Hurricane Sandy Recovery Funds in order to begin greater coordination among Sandy funds making grants to other organizations. The meeting is taking place Monday, November 19 from 2:00-3:30 p.m. EST., at Philanthropy New York. For more information, please email mremaley@philanthropynewyork.org
- Council of NJ Grantmakers is hosting weekly conference calls on Mondays at 4:00 pm for grantmakers to discuss their response and strategies to address the many issues facing our New Jersey as a result of the storm. Please email Alyssa Gillon at agillon@cnjg.org to participate.
6. Check out the Council on Foundations Disaster Grantmaking center online, which offers updates, resource, and legal information on providing relief in times of disaster, outlining the basic legal considerations of a variety of popular giving options for managers of public and private foundations and corporate giving programs.
Tomorrow’s blog will provide tips for providing longer term support following Hurricane Sandy and other disasters.
**********************************************************
If you found this blog post useful, please subscribe. On Twitter? Follow me @Philanthropy411.
Posted by Kris Putnam-Walkerly © Kris Putnam-Walkerly and Philanthropy411, 2012.
