Hurricanes and floods on the Gulf Coast. Devastation in Puerto Rico. Raging fires in Northern California. Earthquakes in Mexico. The list of natural disasters seems to be growing at an epic rate, and it’s hard to know where to give to best support relief and recovery efforts.

Community foundations all over the country are creating emergency relief funds for communities in other locales, making it possible to give locally and respond globally.

We all know that disaster relief is the tip of the iceberg. Most communities will face years, if not decades, of recovery and rebuilding. In my mind, there is no better way to support those efforts than to support the community foundations that serve areas hit by disaster. Community foundations can not only deploy quick relief funds, but can also create strategies for long-term rebuilding and recovery that include the voices and vision of community members. In doing so, they can help ensure that communities emerge from disaster in better shape than they were before the flood, storm, fire or earthquake struck.

Read the full article by Kris Putnam-Walkerly at Putnam Consulting Group