Partnering for Hurricane Preparedness in Texas

In the spirit of sharing and collaboration, I often carpool to meetings and recovery gatherings with a fellow program officer from the Rebuild Texas Fund, Chris Hensman. We’ve had many brainstorming sessions during these car rides and have shared valuable information about organizations working on recovery. One idea sparked during these car rides resulted in an exciting new partnership.
I’m thrilled to announce a $1 million collaboration between CDP and the Rebuild Texas Fund to help Harvey-affected communities prepare for hurricane season. This project will help protect ongoing recovery efforts and ensure that already vulnerable populations get the support they need to avoid further damage.
Since Hurricane Harvey struck, CDP and the Rebuild Texas Fund have granted over $25 million to support recovery efforts throughout the affected region. Now we’re teaming up to aid local communities better prepare in case of a future storm because research shows that every dollar spent on preparedness is worth six dollars in recovery. CDP and the Rebuild Texas Fund are each dedicating up to $500,000 in grant funds for preparedness projects throughout the affected region.
The Rebuild Texas Fund was launched just days after Hurricane Harvey devastated Texas’ communities, and they are still hard at work alongside community partners in support of recovery efforts. According to Chris Hensman, this preparedness program is vital for two reasons: to protect progress to date and to prevent adding new families to the long list of those already in need.
The CDP Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund was created with the specific purpose of supporting the medium- and long-term recovery needs of vulnerable populations. The fund is being used in a focused and purposeful manner, leveraging other public and private funds to have the biggest impact on the recovery efforts. This collaboration with the Rebuild Texas Fund allows us to have an even greater impact on the communities that were affected by Hurricane Harvey. Building more resiliency in the face of disaster is an important focus for the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, and we’re excited to focus on preparedness with this project.
Organizations interested in applying for grants should email info@rebuildtx.org for application guidelines. Projects must focus on disaster planning, community preparedness, training, equipment purchases, or other needs to improve disaster preparedness and response. Grants will be no more than $100,000. Grants will only be made to nonprofit or governmental organizations. Applications are due by June 15 and notifications will be made by early July.