The increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events is prompting some philanthropists to reconsider their disaster responses. The question is whether to fund long-term recovery and resilience rather than just immediate relief efforts following floods, fires, and storms.

Two major tropical storms struck the United States in the past month. First, Hurricane Helene tore through Southeastern states, killing hundreds, washing out and flooding homes, and leaving many without power. Last week, Hurricane Milton whipped behind it, wreaking more havoc on the Florida coast and affecting millions more.

Federal aid is stretched. FEMA, the agency tasked with delivering federal assistance to disaster survivors, has already spent nearly half of its relief budget for fiscal year 2025, which is intended to last until Sept. 30 of next year. That could force the agency to cut funding for rebuilding projects such as repairing roads and water facilities, to reserve money for more urgent, life-saving operations, Politico reported Thursday.

Current Disaster Relief Donations

The U.S. philanthropy sector, which includes $1.4 trillion in assets among private foundations and more than $228 billion among donor-advised funds as of 2022, has the capacity to fill some of that shortfall. Corporations and private foundations such as Walmart, Sam’s Club, and Dogwood Health Trust provided millions of emergency relief dollars to Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Tennessee in the aftermath of Helene. Groups like Catholic Charities and GiveDirectly have launched campaigns to raise relief funding for those affected by Milton.

However, much like the federal government, philanthropic funders need to consider how they can provide long-term support in an era of extreme weather that increasingly impacts the groups they fund and communities they seek to help, said Tanya Gulliver-Garcia, director of advisory and educational services at the Center for Disaster Philanthropy.

Climate change is warming the oceans, which is creating storms with stronger winds and heavier rain. The effects of these mega storms are being felt beyond coastal regions, expanding to cities like Asheville, nestled in North Carolina’s Blue Ridge Mountains, where residents are expected to go for weeks without city water. Inland North Carolina was previously considered safe from the kind of devastation wrought by Hurricane Helene. Meanwhile, states like Florida have had to deal with one storm after another.

“We keep having disasters, and Florida is a really good example of that, with three hurricanes making landfall in Florida this year,” Gulliver-Garcia said. “How do you deal with the impact, especially when they hit the same areas repeatedly? That requires long-term investment in recovery.”

Read the full article about future of disaster relief donations by Stephanie Beasley at Chronicle of Philanthropy.