Immediate Responses/National Responders
The American Red Cross
is describing their response as the largest in their history.
Teams from the American
Red Cross of Massachusetts Bay and the Central
Vermont/New Hampshire Red Cross Chapter have been dispatched
to the scene.
The Salvation Army
is providing food and shelter to storm victims in 30 states.
Southern Baptist Disaster Relief
is providing meals to affected areas, as well as water purification,
child care, additional chain saw and recovery crews.
Islamic Relief, along with several major American Islamic
groups has formed the Muslim Hurricane Relief Task Force (MHRTF)
to coordinate aid efforts for the victims of Hurricane Katrina.
Islamic Relief staff is focusing its efforts on helping victims
who have fled to Mobile, AL; Baton Rouge, LA; and Houston, TX
Mercy Corps emergency
relief workers are on the ground on the U.S. Gulf coast, distributing
aid to families displaced by Hurricane Katrina and beginning longer-term
recovery and rebuilding programs.
Convoy of Hope has delivered
more than 50 truckloads of ice, water and food with another 30
truckloads scheduled to arrive in the area.
Episcopal Relief and Development
has sent emergency funds to dioceses throughout the gulf coast
and will continue to support immediate and long-term needs in
the area.
Nazarene Disaster
Response opened its Louisiana district campground as an emergency
shelter for those fleeing the path of the storm. It is also preparing
volunteer teams and Crisis Kits to be sent to the Gulf Coast area
as soon as roads reopen.
United Church of Christ
One Great Hour of Sharing is rushing $25,000 to Church World Service
for the initial response to Hurricane Katrina.
America’s Second
Harvest is providing tons of food and relief supplies to those
displaced and impacted by Katrina.
Presbyterian Church USA Twenty-two
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Team (PDAT) members are working
with presbyteries, congregations, the American Red Cross, and
other faith-based partners to assess the needs in the affected
areas.
Mennonite Disaster Service
is providing recovery supplies and teams of volunteers for rebuilding.
United Methodist Church
Relief efforts is coordinating volunteer efforts and providing
relief and recovery supplies to impacted areas.
United Jewish Communities is
raising funds for a variety of human needs for Jewish and non-Jewish
storm victims.
United Way of America
has a Hurricane Katrina fund that will help those displaced to
Houston and also focus on the long-term recovery of the Gulf Coast
communities hardest hit by the storm.
Long-Term Responses/Local Gulf
Coast Funds
Bush-Clinton
Katrina Fund This fund will serve as an umbrella organization
for the three special funds established by Governors of Alabama,
Louisiana and Mississippi and will focus on collecting donations
to assist in the long-term recovery plan for the states affected
by this terrible tragedy.
While local agencies along the Gulf Coast anticipate that they
will be provide some type of emergency assistance in their communities,
Catholic
Charities’ in disaster relief is to provide long-term
recovery work. In fact, Catholic Charities agencies in Florida
are still providing services to help people recover from last
year's devastating hurricanes.
The Baton Rouge Area Foundation
has established two Hurricane Katrina Disaster funds. The Hurricane
Katrina Displaced Residents Fund will benefit families and individuals
evacuated to Baton Rouge from the hurricane impacted areas in
Greater New Orleans who are now unable to return for what may
be an extended period. The Hurricane Katrina New Orleans Recovery
Fund will focus on the rebuilding of infrastructure to provide
basic human services to devastated areas.
The Greater New Orleans Foundation
has established a Hurricane Katrina fund that will focus on the
rebuilding of infrastructure to provide basic human services to
residents of these devastated areas. The Greater New Orleans Foundation
will coordinate closely with federal, state and local officials
in an attempt to provide resources to programs and efforts that
positively and immediately impact the quality of life of these
individuals, and contribute to the overall rebuilding of critical
service delivery mechanisms in the New Orleans area.
The Community Foundation
of Greater Birmingham has established two funds: Hurricane
Katrina Displaced Residents Fund to support organizations and
programs meeting the food, education, health care and basic survival
needs of people who have been evacuated to the greater Birmingham
area from the Gulf Coast regions devastated by Hurricane Katrina.
At this time, local organizations are anticipating the relocation
of an unknown number of displaced persons.
Hurricane Katrina Recovery Fund – Alabama, Louisiana or
Mississippi Contributions to this fund will be directed according
to the wishes of the donor and can be specified for recovery efforts
in Alabama, Louisiana or Mississippi. CFGB will process these
contributions locally, without administrative fee, and forward
them to the community foundations serving these areas as they
focus on rebuilding infrastructure and providing basic human services
to residents of each state. Where community foundations are not
available, they will direct donations to the relief efforts of
direct-service organizations in each state.
The Community Foundation
of Greater Jackson (Mississippi) ) has established the Hurricane
Katrina Victim Assistance Fund of the Community Foundation of
Greater Jackson and is accepting checks or online donations. They
said they are “happy to receive any gifts that anyone cares
to send and will forward them on to appropriate agencies as soon
as we know how to do so.”
Community Foundation of
Shreveport-Bossier (LA) will benefit those individuals and
families evacuated to the Shreveport-Bossier area from hurricane-impacted
regions, who are now unable to return for what may be an extended
period.
The Gulf Coast Community
Foundation, Gulfport, MS and the Mississippi
GulfCoast Convention & Visitors Bureau (MGCVB) announced
jointly the establishment of the "Build Back Our Coast Fund"
to aid the economic recovery, rebuilding efforts and job regeneration
in the coastal region. The foundation has already received funding
commitments from organizations across the country.
The Foundation for the Mid South (FMS) has established the Hurricane
Katrina Recovery and Restoration Fund to provide financial
resources to nonprofits working to rebuild the lives and communities
of the people of Southern Louisiana, the Mississippi Gulf Coast,
and the Alabama Gulf Coast.
Funder/Donor Resources
The Foundation Center
has published a Snapshot of Philanthropy’s Response to the
Gulf Coast Hurricanes (February 2006). This report summarizes
contributions to the region for relief and recovery, and breaks
down giving by Corporations/Corporate Foundations, Independent
Foundations, and Community and Other Public Foundations. Access
the full report.
The Environmental
Grantmakers Association has developed a webpage of resources
including grantmaker/grantseeker matchmaker sites and bi-weekly
updates.
Business for Social Responsibility has developed a roadmap
for corporations wishing to respond and contribute to Katrina-related
relief and recovery. (PDF)
The Council on Foundations has developed a Guide
to Disaster Grantmaking (PDF)
The Environmental
Protection Agency’s site for Katrina responses.
Grantmakers in Aging has
established a Hurricane Fund for the Elderly to go to projects
that provide for the emergency, intermediate, and long-term needs
of the elderly in the region. More information is available at
their website or from Carol A. Farquhar, Executive Director, Grantmakers
In Aging at cfarquhar@GIAging.org
or by phone at 937-435-3156.
IRS
Guidance on Disaster Grantmaking (PDF)
General
IRS guidance for organizations, employers and others wishing
to respond to the hurricanes.
The Louisiana Association of Nonprofit Organizations may be reached
at http://www.lano.org. Or you
may contact Executive Director Melissa Flournoy at melissa@lano.org
for information about the needs of nonprofits in Louisiana.
The Mississippi Center for Nonprofits may be reached at www.msnonprofits.org
or through its Executive Director Mark McCrary (mark@msnonprofits.org).
The Mississippi’s
Governor’s Office has established the Governor’s
Commission on Recovery, Rebuilding and Renewal which is working
toward producing a report by year’s end about how to rebuild
the regions affected by the hurricanes.
Urban
Institute’s fact sheets on Demographics of a Disaster
and the status of Louisiana’s nonprofits.
The
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA)
site on Katrina’s environmental impacts.
Archived News
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