Advancing Rural Disaster Philanthropy: Barriers and Opportunities

The frequency, severity and cost of disasters in the United States are rising sharply. Rural communities are uniquely vulnerable to these disasters due to historic underinvestment, geographic isolation and limited access to resources. Despite making up roughly 20% of the U.S. population, rural America receives an estimated 7% of philanthropic funding.

Philanthropy has an important role to play in working alongside rural areas before, during and after disaster to support more effective, impactful and equitable outcomes. The Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) and FSG embarked on a research effort to better understand and articulate the ways in which philanthropy can more effectively partner with rural communities to respond to disaster.

The report takes stock of the current landscape of rural disaster philanthropy, identifies barriers and bright spots, and surfaces opportunities to shift how funders engage in addressing and reducing the impact of disasters in rural communities. The research included a survey of both rural funders and rural community organizations, interviews with rural funders and intermediaries, and a secondary review of existing resources.

Based on this research, the report reveals three key pathways funders can follow to effectively advance their rural disaster investments and strategies:

• Rethink who gets funded by centering local leadership and equity.
• Rethink what gets funded by prioritizing capacity, coordination and the full disaster cycle.
• Rethink how funding happens by redesigning processes for equity and impact.

Throughout the report, you’ll find stories and examples of funders working to increase investment in rural America—consider this your invitation to join us in advancing rural disaster philanthropy.