CDP Midwest Early Recovery Fund Evaluation

Since 2014, CDP’s longest-standing fund, the Midwest Early Recovery Fund (ERF), has been a crucial part of our efforts to advance the equitable and long-term recovery of marginalized communities before and after a disaster.

Through ERF, CDP provides grants and other forms of support to local, culturally aligned organizations in the U.S. Midwest, helping them offer recovery services to meet the needs of those disproportionately affected by low-attention disasters.

After 10 years of implementation, we were ready to assess ERF to better understand its role as a catalyst for equitable disaster recovery and explore how the fund can be strengthened. In October 2024, we engaged Point b(e) Strategies, a consulting and capacity building firm, to conduct an evaluation.

This evaluation gathered data from grantee partners about their experiences through a survey and focus group discussions.

The evaluation design also included a task force to support the evaluation that included Point b(e) Strategies evaluators, four grantee partners and three CDP staff members. The task force provided feedback on the design, data collection tools and final deliverables.

One of the short-term outcomes for the ERF is that grantee partners have increased skill and confidence to take initial steps to recovery.

The evaluation results for this short-term outcome touch on the finding that ERF operates more like a program than a fund, meaning the strength of the model goes beyond grantmaking to include technical assistance, capacity-building and long-term strategic support. With pre-positioned dollars and sustainable funding mechanisms, ERF ensures timely assistance while maintaining a dedicated focus on hyperlocal recovery efforts.

The short-term outcome mentioned above is only one of many insights found within the evaluation. We invite you to explore the executive summary and full evaluation report for a deeper dive into the findings and recommendations.