Wednesday, October 29, 2014
Philanthropy’s Special Role in Supporting Community Recovery from Disasters
This week marks the two year anniversary of “Super Storm Sandy” hitting the Eastern Seaboard of the US, the Caribbean and Canada. Many of the hardest hit communities were in New York and New Jersey – the storm’s destruction has been well documented. A full recovery for many of those communities is still a work in progress.
When disasters strike, a whole range of different players jump into action – government and nonprofits being on the top of that list. Where is philanthropy on the list? We know individual giving is critical – is institutional philanthropy (foundations and corporate giving) one of the critical players?
I believe the answer is a resounding yes. Yesterday, PNY, along with our partners CNJG, CDP and the FC, released our report on the Philanthropic Response to Hurricane Sandy. The dollars are impressive – nearly 600 players committed over $380 million dollars. As you read through the report details, it is clear that those dollars filled important gaps and served vital needs in hard hit communities....