Four Funds Support Recovery from Tragic Disaster Season

The Center for Disaster Philanthropy has long believed that the scope, scale, and frequency of disasters was going to intensify. We are witnessing that intensity of devastation in real time. In a matter of four short weeks, Mexico has been rocked by two earthquakes and five massive hurricanes have wreaked havoc across Florida, Texas, and the Caribbean. The spate of disasters has been called epic and unprecedented—and I agree.

In response to these disasters, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy has launched four recovery funds. As I have mentioned before, for all of our funds, CDP has two immovable posts:

1. We will direct our grantmaking efforts to support medium- and long-term recovery efforts.
2. We will support the unmet needs of vulnerable populations affected by each disaster.

Each fund will operate with those two posts at top of mind, but will focus on the needs presented by the actual event. Our collaborative disaster recovery funds allow donors to give now to support recovery needs that will continue to surface long after our attention has turned away from these disasters.
The CDP Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund will focus on the Harvey footprint—investing in unmet needs such as housing, the needs of young children, rebuilding businesses, and supporting mental health needs.
The CDP Hurricane Irma Recovery Fund, as with Harvey, will support efforts within the storm’s footprint—both within the continental U.S., as well as the Caribbean. We will take a careful look at the needs of communities affected by the disaster, as well as the unmet needs that arise well after the storm has passed.
The CDP 2017 Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund was launched just as Maria started its fierce trajectory across the Caribbean. We made the determination to start a fund dedicated to the full range of needs brought by the 2017 hurricane season, given that we still have many weeks until the season ends. There is no question that we are paying very close attention to the devastation brought by Hurricane Maria in the Caribbean. Those needs are top of mind for our entire team.
The CDP Mexico Earthquake Recovery Fund will focus on the medium- and long-term recovery needs presented by the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that struck Pueblo, Morelos, and Mexico City on September 19, 2017. While we are incredibly thankful for the strength of the central Government of Mexico, we know that there are many local and international organizations who will be providing much needed recovery work. Our fund will seek to support that recovery effort.
If you would like to contribute to any of our funds, or would like more information about our efforts, please do not hesitate to call me, Regine, at 206.972.0187 or our President and CEO Bob Ottenhoff at 202.595.1026.