When a natural disaster or terrorist event happens, public support often swells quickly to try to assist victims. In fact, most money provided for disaster-related assistance is given within 30 days. However, GrantCraft’s blog recently featured a post highlighting one corporate foundation’s commitment to long-term needs faced by communities after disasters—often years down the road.
Joseph Ruiz, the Director of Humanitarian Relief & Resilience Program and Communications at The UPS Foundation, noted the foundation’s focus not only on specific grants for immediate relief, but also on commitments to long-term recovery, which will be allocated as the unique needs of communities come to light:
We never lose sight of those long-term needs, shared in news cycles long past but still urgent. For example, while UPS was providing support for Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria, we were also working with Good360.org to transport donated furniture to Baton Rouge, helping more than 100 families return to their homes more than a year after the Louisiana floods of 2016.
In 2018, we will once again award new commitments to our partners, but rest assured many of these will keep one eye on the past, to support recovery efforts in Houston, Florida, and in the Caribbean, through grant, in-kind, and volunteer support efforts until our communities are built back better, and more resilient.
This strategy is important for philanthropic organizations to keep in mind. Here in Colorado, we’ve suffered catastrophic flooding and fires within the last several years, and some areas still are struggling. Organizations that can work with communities as a long-term partner may best serve those affected and get communities back to thriving. For example, the Community Foundation of Northern Colorado has established a hurricane recovery fund meant to address the immediate and long-term needs of those affected.
Take a look at The Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Disaster Philanthropy Playbook, a tool that can connect organizations with agencies filling vital long-term needs of families and communities.
