How Donors Can Help Relief Efforts After Recent Extreme Weather

Extreme weather, driven and intensified by climate change, continues to disrupt communities across the United States and around the world.

Hurricane Ian has brought new destruction to Florida, just a short time after Hurricane Fiona caused widespread damage and power outages in Puerto Rico and impacted the greater Caribbean and Atlantic Canada. A historic typhoon hit western Alaska, and damaging forest fires continue in California and elsewhere across the western United States. Degraded infrastructure combined with summer flooding created a clean water emergency in Mississippi. Flooding and earthquake damage have had long-lasting consequences in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and India experienced record-breaking heat this summer.

NPT donors have stepped up their giving in response to natural disasters over the course of 2022, and they continue today. NPT always recommends donors seek out local community foundations and news sources in affected areas for the most up-to-date information.

The following organizations are serving those affected in recent disaster zones and working on long-term resilience and recovery efforts.

Hurricane Ian: Florida and Cuba

• The Center for Disaster Philanthropy (EIN 45-5257937) manages an Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund, which continually supports disaster relief in the U.S. and abroad, including long-term recovery and resilience.
• Community Foundation Tampa Bay (EIN: 59-3001853) has committed to assisting the region in recovery in the coming weeks after the storm has passed.
• The Volunteer Florida Foundation (EIN 01-0973168) manages the state’s official disaster relief fund, and is accepting donations in response to Hurricane Ian.

Hurricane Fiona: Puerto Rico, the Caribbean and Canada

• The Hispanic Federation (EIN 13-3573852) created a dedicated Hurricane Relief Fund which supports transportation and emergency supplies, as well as NGOs offering support in the Dominican Republic, also impacted by Hurricane Fiona.
• The Puerto Rico Community Foundation (EIN 66-0413230) established the Community Recovery Fund for Puerto Rico to provide immediate relief to the island.
• The Foundation for Puerto Rico (EIN 66-0776227) is also mobilizing support across the island, working with local nonprofits to continue their missions and assisting in relief and recovery.
• Team Rubicon (EIN 27-1720480) a veteran-led volunteer disaster response organization, is currently coordinating with its Canadian teams to conduct relief and recovery operations across Atlantic Canada, where Hurricane Fiona caused extensive damage and flooding.

Alaska

• The Alaska Community Foundation (EIN 92-0155067) created the Western Alaska Disaster Recovery Fund providing resources to impacted communities in western Alaska, in particular those on the Seward Peninsula, which bore the brunt of recent Typhoon Merbok.
• The Nome Community Center (EIN 92-0039475) serves the small city of Nome in western Alaska and is providing temporary shelter and other emergency services to its community.

Western Wildfires

• Although the wildfire season across the western United States was a reprieve from the damaging toll of recent years, fires still damaged and destroyed important buildings and infrastructure. The Center for Disaster Philanthropy (EIN 45-5257937) hosts funds for ongoing fire relief efforts in Colorado and California.

Jackson, Mississippi Water Crisis

• The Community Foundation for Mississippi (EIN 64-0845750) has several funds addressing the clean water crisis in Jackson, including the Helping Friends and Neighbors Fund and a fund dedicated to Jackson Public Schools impacted by the crisis.

Afghanistan, India and Pakistan

• Islamic Relief USA (EIN 95-4453134) has dedicated resources flowing to Pakistan in response to June’s monsoon-related flooding. The organization is committed to continuing to provide food and clean water, relocation and shelter, violence prevention and economic and agricultural revitalization as the flood waters recede and new challenges emerge. Islamic Relief is also continously committed to Afghanistan in the aftermath of the deadly June earthquake.
• The deadly extreme heat in India and Pakistan this past spring was a dire example of how climate change amplifies urban heat emergencies. The Global Cool Cities Alliance, a project housed within the nonprofit Multiplier (EIN 91-2166435), is focusing on research and policy to help cities adapt to a warming planet and minimize heat-related deaths.

Learn more about how you can expand your disaster giving strategy by supporting organizations addressing long-term resiliency, and consider these other factors in your relief-based giving.