Resilient Funding in Times of Disaster: Examining Community Grant Funding in Eras of Crisis

Keywords

Grant Writing; Proposals; Resilient Funding

Abstract

In 2017, three major hurricanes landed in Texas, Florida, and Puerto Rico and their outlying areas, leaving behind destruction that reverberates to this day. While national and international organizations responded in sweeping ways, community foundations and local nonprofits in these regions made littleknown but significantly impactful contributions. These contributions helped to cultivate best practices and methods in grant funding and development. This article examines responses related to grantmaking and grantseeking by community stakeholders in these three regions. Observations of processes at community foundations and grantmaking organizations in Houston, Central and South Florida, and San Juan show that corporate, government, and national organizations are visible frontline responders. However, local residents, their foundations, and funding are more directly tuned to the specific needs and decisions associated with long-term relief. This article reviews what can be learned from community grant makers and their processes that can help facilitate responses to community-oriented disasters. It examines insights from local foundation responses in the immediate, short, and long term. The article presents several planning strategies for grant professionals and local stakeholders. In particular, it describes long-term strategic partnerships on both local and national levels that raise visibility and improve opportunities for continuous grant funding that aid distribution at the local level. These strategies can provide focus to future grant proposals to ensure improved competence, preparedness, and funding delivery within disaster philanthropy.

Date Created

January 2018

https://works.bepress.com/angela-white-jones/2/download/

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