The Patterson Foundation Contributes $250,000 to Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund
The contribution will support medium- and long-term recovery efforts in the affected region
Sarasota, Fla. — The Patterson Foundation provided a $250,000 contribution of unrestricted funding to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s (CDP) Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund. The gift is intended to strengthen CDP’s work to support medium- and long-term rebuilding efforts in the region affected by the storm — the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States since 2005.
Hurricane Harvey touched down as a Category 4 storm Friday along the Texas coastline. The storm has caused widespread flooding and power outages impacting hundreds of thousands of people, and estimates are expected to rise as Harvey continues to inundate the region. While numerous funds have been established to provide immediate assistance to rapid relief efforts, CDP’s Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund is focused on medium- and long-term needs in the impacted region, like rebuilding homes, infrastructure and businesses while supporting children’s well-being, providing mental health services and boosting damaged agricultural sectors.
“Images of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey have galvanized myriad supporters — from individual citizen philanthropists to large philanthropic funders — to contribute to immediate, life-saving response efforts,” said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. “While this support is essential, the storm’s impact will be felt long after the rains have stopped and the floods have subsided. The Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund is a vital tool to address the complex variety of medium- and long-term challenges these communities will face as they rebuild and strengthen.”
Since 2012, The Patterson Foundation has contributed more than $2 million to CDP to support efforts for major disasters such as Hurricane Sandy and the Global Refugee Crisis. This latest gift comes soon after the creation of the Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund in an effort to catalyze additional donations from other funders monitoring the disaster.
CDP works to connect donors with insight and information from experts in philanthropy to increase donors’ impact throughout the complete lifecycle of domestic and international disasters. Donors motivated to contribute to disaster-relief and recovery efforts are often unsure of where to give and how to get the most out of their money. Additionally, donations typically decline following the immediate aftermath of a disaster — leaving several important recovery projects underfunded.
“Through the Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund, CDP will provide expertise and consulting services to guide strategic thinking around effective disaster philanthropy — providing for not only short-term needs but also badly needed long-term recovery support for the most vulnerable populations in the months to come,” said Bob Ottenhoff, president and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. “The Patterson Foundation’s gift came just at the right moment, and we hope it will motivate others to get involved.”
In partnership with the Council on Foundations, CDP hosted a webinar that included experts from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), along with disaster responders and nonprofit foundations in Texas, to share how donors can help support the response and relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey.
About The Patterson Foundation
The Patterson Foundation strengthens the efforts of people, organizations and communities. The Foundation focuses on issues that address common aspirations and foster wide participation, along with ways organizations learn and share as they evolve. For more information, please visit www.thepattersonfoundation.org and connect with @ThePattersonFdn on Twitter.
About the Center for Disaster Philanthropy
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s mission is to transform disaster giving by providing timely and thoughtful strategies to increase donors’ impact during domestic and international disasters. For more, please visit: disasterphilanthropy.org and connect with @funds4disaster on Twitter.
CDP mobilizes philanthropy to strengthen communities’ ability to withstand disasters and recover equitably when they occur. It provides expert advice and educational resources, supports diverse coalitions and manages domestic and international disaster funds on behalf of corporations, foundations and individuals through targeted, holistic and localized grantmaking. Find out more at disasterphilanthropy.org and on X and LinkedIn.
