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Thursday, May 21, 2015

Redefining Of Disasters Preparedness For The Philanthropic Sector

By Tammie Caldwell


A billion of dollars is significant amount of money. Indemnity totaling this amount forms the States Governments benchmark of measurement of relative impact for natural disasters. This kind of billion dollar calamities continue to rise in occurrences. New kinds of threats are happening faster than disasters preparedness facilities are available. Such catastrophes include raging tornadoes in Texas and wildfires in western states.

Knowledge exists that those most adversely afflicted by disasters are people already vulnerable and at risk even before the disaster strikes. This knowledge further reveals that risk sees distribution in accordance to larger social forces. This particularly affects allocation of resources such as power to determine the location of a levee or money that affords a safe home. Bottom line is that disasters strikes sharply where philanthropy resides.

The moment a disaster strikes, philanthropic advanced practices such as collective capacity, coalition building and leverage, should kick in. However, research and experience has shown that private donations, including those from foundations, dramatically decline after six months and remain poorly coordinated.

FE MA disaster recovery framework of 2011 gives a useful insight into the social sector level of resilience as a complete system. It highlights preparedness as the key to continued resilience and survival of a disaster while intact and stronger.

The philanthropy sector needs to better prepare itself for a swiftly changing operating scenario. This scenario has basic infrastructures of accountability, law and opportunity under siege. Such a scenario measures recovery in years and not in months or cycles of elections.

Well documented are the diverse and important roles donor foundations play throughout the spectrum of disaster relief, recovery or resilience. A lot of literature about disaster philanthropy give how to guidance and instructions or which funds went where from whom. Such retrospective analyses see publication months or even years later. These research findings are critical in developing insights for sponsors and their responses over time.

The experiences that disaster afflicted communities go through dramatically show how improved infrastructure data and a sense of urgency shared may accomplish. Any donor organization, which leverages its information effectively, plays a major role in bringing valuable resources and positive outcomes among afflicted communities. One example is Foundation Maps by The Foundation Centers, which is a grant tool available online. It provides sponsors or organization with a framework map that shares and defines in real time crucial data.

Whether it is bankrupt Detroit or an Ebola outbreak in Africa, cataclysm communities are society canaries in the coalmine. They reveal the underlying state of a society infrastructures and their impact on all people. When a calamity happens, we all see ourselves as people, we see our vulnerability and fragility. For an instant, we see us and not just them.

As the rate, scenery and degree of calamities goes up, the charitable sector must shift its focal point towards preparedness. It can start doing this through a shared sense of urgency and committing themselves to improving the data infrastructures. This way, first responders will be able to spring fast into action. They will assist communities self-organize long before others can mobilize.




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