Giving Compass' Take:
- Juanicia Crump explains how long-term disaster recovery isn't just about repairing infrastructure, but, crucially, also involves supporting the people leading these efforts.
- As a donor or funder, how can you continue to listen to and support the communities impacted by disasters after the initial aftermath and flurry of media attention?
- Learn more about disaster relief and recovery and how you can help.
- Search our Guide to Good for nonprofits focused on disaster philanthropy.
What is Giving Compass?
We connect donors to learning resources and ways to support community-led solutions. Learn more about us.
As 2025 draws to a close, communities across the Midwest continue to rebuild after a series of severe storms, tornadoes and floods that struck from 2022 through 2025. While the headlines have faded, the work of recovery continues quietly and determinedly across both rural towns and urban neighborhoods alike.
From Missouri’s spring 2025 tornadoes to Minnesota’s June 2024 flooding and the 2024 and 2025 storms in Nebraska and Iowa, families are still repairing homes, restoring livelihoods and reclaiming stability. The needs remain significant, but so does the resilience of those leading recovery on the ground.
More Than $577K in Grants Awarded to Support Long-Term Disaster Recovery in the Midwest
Center for Disaster Philanthropy is honored to announce this year’s round of grants from the Midwest Early Recovery Fund, awarding $577,242 across 10 organizations working tirelessly to support long-term recovery in their communities.
These grants address the persistent needs of impacted families, including disaster case management, mental health and emotional wellness, housing repair and rebuilding, and recovery coordination. The organizations funded this year are trusted local partners that support long-term disaster recovery and ensure survivors in both small towns and urban neighborhoods have equitable access to resources.
2025 Midwest Early Recovery Fund Grants
- Recovering Oklahomans After Disaster (ROAD) received $75,000 to complete critical home repairs for survivors from 2022 and 2023 disasters in Eastern Oklahoma. Using a shared-cost labor model, SBP AmeriCorps support and an upgraded DIRRT database, ROAD will provide safe, stable housing while promoting equitable recovery.
- Minnesota Seeds of Justice was awarded $103,592 from the Midwest Early Recovery Fund, along with $100,000 from our Disaster Recovery Fund, to provide recovery coordination to families affected by the June 2024 flooding in Worthington, Minnesota.
- Greater Greenfield Community Foundation received $104,192 to continue its work in Greenfield, Iowa, in response to the May 2024 tornado. This grant supports a disaster case manager who will transition into a recovery coordinator role to focus on housing, infrastructure, cleanup and serving as a liaison for residents navigating FEMA, SBA and insurance challenges.
- Catholic Charities of St. Louis was awarded $44,500 to retain a disaster case manager assisting families impacted by the Spring 2025 Missouri tornadoes. Serving about 200 people across six counties, the program connects survivors to resources, addresses insurance and housing needs, and strengthens local recovery efforts.
Read the full article about long-term disaster recovery by Juanicia Crump at Center for Disaster Philanthropy.