Giving Compass' Take:

· Writing for The Conference Board, Kelly Beckner explains the importance of investing in local, community-led initiatives for disaster preparedness to save lives and billions in recovery costs.

· How can donors invest in their communities to prepare for potential disasters? What's to come next for disaster philanthropy and preparation?

· Here are some basic tips to lead you in disaster giving. 

This summer, The Conference Board released a comprehensive research report, Disaster Philanthropy Practices. In the report, they highlight the need for companies to be more prepared for increasingly volatile disaster seasons around the world.

Among other notable outcomes, the report shared that companies are:

  1. Revisiting their approach to be able to respond to back-to-back disasters,
  2. Have a preference to support local organizations recommended by their network, and
  3. Collectively recognize the value in disaster preparation.

Despite these findings, the vast majority of corporate giving is still directed toward U.S.-based nonprofits, and mitigation and risk reduction programs receive only a fraction of support compared to immediate relief and long-term recovery efforts.

There’s a message I’d like to share with the companies stepping up to proactively invest in disaster preparedness: You are leaders in the sector, and uniquely positioned to shift disaster giving trends to support impactful, community-led programming across the globe.

We are heartened by the report’s findings that more than a quarter of companies surveyed are building partnerships with local nonprofits in vulnerable communities. Local organizations are at the forefront of disaster recovery. From emergency relief to long-term rebuilding, community-led organizations are better equipped to deliver local aid, and at a lower cost. By modeling this approach, companies are strengthening community resilience, supporting local jobs, and stimulating the economy throughout the recovery progress. This approach also encourages more community consensus on recovery priorities, increased engagement from appropriate stakeholders and an alignment with local culture and values.

Consider Isadora Hasting’s impact. After a devastating earthquake hit Mexico in 2018, her team at Cooperación Comunitaria played a key role in recovery and resilience building in partnership with GlobalGiving’s Disaster Recovery Network. They revived long-lost, traditional building techniques, which are naturally resistant to the notoriously powerful earthquakes and winds of Mexico.

Read the full article about investing in disaster preparedness by Kelly Beckner at The Conference Board.