Everyone wants to help during a crisis, and, for many, that means giving money. But few understand what it takes to distribute funds to the people, businesses, or nonprofits that will create the greatest impact and fulfill the most need — especially if the money lives in different funds at different organizations.

Enter community foundations, which are inherently good at sharing information and resources. In fact, they do it all the time. Community foundations exist to help others do more with less and find ways to strengthen a community through common resources, ingenuity, and communication. One example:

On the evening of July 30, [2016] a severe thunderstorm moved into the area of Ellicott City, Maryland where it dumped an estimated 6 inches (15 cm) of rain in two hours. The flash flood that resulted inflicted severe damage to the area primarily on Main Street. Many homes, businesses, sidewalks, and landmarks were damaged by the flooding, with the city’s landmark clock being one of those impacted. 

The flooding in Ellicott City spurred a downtown business group to raise funds, but left them with the (not unusual) conundrum of how best to distribute the money.  By deferring to the community foundation’s experience, professional staff, and understanding of what it means to give money in an impactful way, the business group was able to place the funds they raised in the right hands at the right time.

Read the full article about the importance of community foundations at times of crisis at ncfp.org.