Beyond the hurricanes: What climate change means for funders

The impact of Hurricanes Helene and Milton, which hit Florida two weeks apart, went well beyond the catastrophe from the storms.

Communities along the Gulf Coast and southeastern U.S. felt the devastating impact of Helene and Milton and the so-called “secondary perils,” smaller events such as storm surge, tornadoes, heavy rain and flash flooding.

As secondary perils begin to cause as much or more loss and destruction as the hurricanes themselves, and as disaster after disaster hits the same communities, funders need to adjust their disaster-giving strategies.

During the webinar, speakers discussed how climate change is upending traditional disaster philanthropy and creating an opportunity for funders to rethink and adapt to the changing environment.

CDP’s Director of Advisory and Education Services, Tanya Gulliver-Garcia, moderated the discussion with the following panelists:

• Roxie Jerde, President and CEO, Community Foundation of Sarasota County
• Monica Sanders, Founder and CEO, The Undivide Project and Forbes contributor​
• Sarah Labowitz, Nonresident Scholar, Sustainability, Climate and Geopolitics Program, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace

This webinar was co-sponsored by Florida Philanthropic Network, Alliance Magazine, Philanthropy Southeast, National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, United Philanthropy Forum and North Carolina Network of Grantmakers.

Please see the slide deck, read the recap on Giving Compass and watch the webinar recording to learn more:

Resources mentioned during the webinar

Photo: Damage from a tornado caused by Hurricane Milton in the Spanish Lake community in Port St. Lucie, Florida, Oct. 11, 2024. (U.S. Air National Guard photo by Tech Sgt. Chelsea Smith; CC BY 2.0)