Private Philanthropy Update—June 2019
As summer begins, communities across the US and around the world also prepare for severe weather —from tornados to hurricanes, wildfires and earthquakes. In recent years, the US has experienced some of the mostly costly natural disasters ever on record. And yet, a recent study from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, Candid and Indiana University, found that household giving for natural disasters was down in 2019, with only 29% of US households donating to disaster response.
Disasters like the recent tornadoes and floods in the Midwest or last year’s wildfires in California demonstrate the immense damage that can happen due to extreme weather. As your foundation considers if, or how, you might help communities respond to disaster, here are a few resources we regularly share with Council members:
- Ready.gov’s National Hurricane Preparedness Week Toolkit and Hurricane Seasonal Preparedness Digital Toolkit.
- The Disaster Philanthropy Playbook from the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and Council of New Jersey Grantmakers.
- Creating Order from Chaos: Roles for Philanthropy in Disaster Planning and Response from the Jessie Ball DuPont Fund.
- Additional Disaster Grantmaking resources from the Council.
Last month, we co-sponsored a webinar with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and a number of peer philanthropy networks: Midwest Disasters: What You Can Do. We also helped connect foundations responding to disasters in their communities with peers who have expertise with similar situations in their communities, and worked with FEMA and HUD to connect with philanthropy rebuilding communities in St. Croix and other US territories following last year’s hurricanes.
Do you have stories to share about your work on disaster response or questions about how to engage with government agencies, like FEMA, in your disaster work? Please contact me or our Vice President of Public Policy and Partnerships, Stephanie Powers, if you’d like to discuss your work on disaster philanthropy.
Best,
Natalie Ross
Vice President, External Relations
Phone: 202-991-2517
natalie.ross@cof.org
MEMBER HIGHLIGHTS
#shiftthepower: Three Ways Grantmakers Can Uplift Grantees to Create Cascading, Systemic Change | GlobalGiving and Philanthropy University
John Hecklinger and Connor Diemand-Yauman discuss how resource providers in the development and humanitarian assistance spaces can shift focus from isolated capacity improvements to systemic, cascading change driven by leaders on the frontlines.
Opportunity Zones | Rockefeller Foundation and Mastercard
Several foundations are working to help communities take advantage of Opportunity Zone designations. Mastercard recently announced a new new $1 million partnership with Accelerator for America and the Rockefeller Foundation launched a $5.5 million initiative that embeds a Chief Opportunity Zone Officer and two community engagement specialists in cities nationally. The first city in their initiative is Newark, NJ, who will receive $920,000 in funding, in partnership with Prudential Financial.
HR Summit
September 11-12, 2019 | Atlanta, GA
The 2019 HR Summit:
At the Council, we want to help you grow as an HR professional, earn continuing education credits, and develop career-long connections so you can successfully build diverse talent in your foundation. We hope you’ll join us at Developing Our Talent, co-hosted by the Council on Foundations, CHANGE Philanthropy and CDC Foundation this fall. REGISTER NOW>>
Endowments & Finance Summit
September 19-20, 2019 | Washington, DC
Our Endowments & Finance Summit brings together philanthropy, finance, investment, and policy. This annual gathering is where C-Suite foundation leaders go to explore the shifting forces in the investment landscape; gain invaluable insights on trends, strategies, and new regulations; and have candid conversations about threats to business models. REGISTER NOW>>
RESEARCH & REPORTS
The Council's Grantmaker Salary and Benefits Survey is the most comprehensive data on staff composition and compensation of US grantmakers. This annual report can be used to plan budgets, benchmark personnel policies and practices, determine salary levels for new and existing staff, and more.
The 2019 survey is open until June 28 – please complete the survey now! This year, we are excited to partner with the United Philanthropy Forum and regional philanthropy networks around the country on this survey.
Education Cannot Wait: Policy Brief on Foundation Engagement Outlines New Opportunities to Fund Education in Emergencies via Relief Web
Why Some Philanthropists Are Letting Their Teenagers Decide How to Spend Donations via Robb Report
