National Philanthropic Trust’s Post

California Wildfires Update 🚨 Ongoing wildfire incidents including the Line Fire (San Bernardino County), Bridge Fire (Los Angeles County), and Airport Fire (Orange County) are impacting communities across the state. Funders looking to support response efforts in these regions can refer to our Philanthropy California Disaster Response page for a list of active, vetted funds: https://lnkd.in/gYiW5mRQ About Philanthropy California Philanthropy California is a statewide alliance of Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties, SoCal Grantmakers, and Northern California Grantmakers. Our vetted funding options help you direct resources to funds supporting nonprofits active in place-based relief and recovery efforts, with a special focus on supporting communities facing structural inequities. Some funds also specifically support long-term resilience building & recovery efforts, which provide support for communities recovering in the years after a hazard event. #disasterresponse #philca #californiawildfires #philanthropyca #wheretodonate #linefire #airportfire #bridgefire #boylesfire

The North Carolina Disaster Relief Fund will help provide for immediate unmet needs through reimbursements to nonprofits working with disaster survivors. For immediate, unmet needs, the United Way of North Carolina will provide grants to nonprofits or reimburse nonprofits working in impacted communities. If sufficient donations are collected to support long-term recovery work, the North Carolina Community Foundation's affiliate foundations and statewide grants committee will work to ensure that all donations are distributed to nonprofits that can best serve unmet needs in affected communities. Certain nonprofit organizations assisting individuals and communities recovering from Hurricane Helene are eligible for funding. Eligible groups include any 501(c)(3) agency with a valid charitable solicitation license that is assisting Hurricane Helene-impacted communities with immediate needs. EDRF is funding organizations providing emergency relief to those affected by Hurricane Helene. Initially, $25,000 grants will be awarded on a rolling basis.  Grant requests should be for frontline human service needs. They are intended to cover the extraordinary costs of providing emergency relief services to individuals or eligible organizations affected by the storm. EDRF grants are not for ongoing operational or staff costs or costs that are or will be covered by other sources. Eligibility for emergency public funding (local, state or federal) will be addressed in the application.  

As we begin "March is Red Cross Month", let's join hands to support our communities - especially those impacted by the wildfires in Oklahoma and Texas. The devastation caused by wildfires can be immense, leaving families displaced and communities in urgent need of assistance. In times like these, the American Red Cross plays a crucial role in providing relief, shelter and support to those who need us the most. You can make a difference in the lives of those impacted by the wildfires right now, March Is Red Cross Month, by donating your time, treasure or talent. 🤝 Together, we can rebuild lives and communities. https://lnkd.in/gwJMXPdU

Florida Community Foundations are taking proactive steps to prepare for disasters. This is a crucial step for nonprofits to be able to respond quickly during any disaster. It's great to see these foundations taking action to prepare and act before disasters strike. #nonprofit #disasterpreparedness #communityfoundations

As we hear about burnout in the nonprofit sector, it’s critical to consider those organizations whose missions drive them to support communities facing disasters. With more intense and more frequent disasters, our friends on the frontlines in disaster-prone communities are worn and resources for preparedness and recovery are lacking. Read more about Houston organizations and my thoughts about how philanthropy must respond in this AP article.

In recognition of October’s International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy is hosting a webinar to educate funders about their role in helping communities build resilience by reducing risk. Check out the details of this informative webinar and register to join today! #InternationalDayofDisasterRiskReduction #Philanthropy #WebinarAlert #webinar #FreeWebinar #nonprofit #alliancems

For any of my connections wondering how they might help those in North and South Carolina, here is a post that includes links to several organizations and possibilities.

"Look for the helpers." In times of crisis and hardship, these words from Mr. Rogers and his legacy-carrier, Daniel Tiger, remind us of two important things: 1) There will be helpers - experienced, capable individuals and organizations who are well-versed in coordinating relief efforts across many fronts. 2) We, too, can be helpers by supporting them and their work. Fred Rogers reminded us that being a helper isn't about individual heroism, but instead a collective community effort - where we all can play an important role. Knowing our role - either as an individual or an organization - is vital in situations like these. If you're feeling called to help in some way, I encourage you to reflect on the best role you can play in this recovery effort. For many of us who aren't already in and close by the communities most devastated by Hurricane Helene, the best way we can help is to donate money and provide requested support to organizations already on the ground - or to those that are providing bulk supplies to frontline organizations. This enables funds to be directed to the most pressing community needs, ensures roads stay clear for recovery vehicles, and enables rescue & recovery efforts to remain focused. Thanks to Prof. John Whitmire for sharing this list from Blue Ridge Public Radio (BPR) of local and regional organizations who are actively working on Hurricane Helene aid efforts - https://lnkd.in/eunz7egt - as well as other organizations and resources in his post below. If you want to help now - and in the coming months - please donate to these experienced, capable, and connected helpers as they continue their critical work.

Community foundations play an important role in supporting communities following disasters. The newly established Miami Disaster Resilience Fund, formed through partnerships between several organizations, is a permanent source of revolving funds that aims to support nonprofits quickly after a disaster and reduce the time for distributing mass care resources from 14 to two days. In addition, the fund is intended to make investments in community preparedness and building local resilience, especially among South Florida's vulnerable populations. This includes the preestablishment of agreements with local nonprofits that can now quickly receive funds and use them to supply basic needs like food, medicine and temporary housing after a storm. Similar efforts are being led by the Community Foundation Martin-St. Lucie in Stuart, Florida (Martin County), which has raised $300,000 for its local disaster fund with a goal of raising $500,000 by mid-summer to provide similar mass care resources. #philanthropy #nonprofits #communityplanning #masscare #disasterrecovery #resilientcommunities

As disasters—natural or manmade—occur with increasing frequency and scale, it is an important time to reflect and consider how philanthropy can help communities prepare for more coordinated responses to unforeseen disasters. Philanthropy is uniquely positioned to help communities quickly respond in immediate relief and recovery stages of disaster relief. They can bring together and build relationships among funders and cross-sector stakeholders, leverage experience working in different sectors and on a wide variety of social issues, and quickly provide funding with fewer restrictions than a typical grant process, buying time for government support and the development of long-term recovery and preparedness strategies. Community foundations are often at the center of disaster relief efforts, whether as the sole administrator and leader of a fund or as the backbone organization in a partnership effort. https://lnkd.in/gXcxdeqg