"Weathering the Storm": a Katrina Report

NEED FOR FEMA AND RED CROSS TO COORDINATE MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH LOCAL AND FAITH-BASED ORGANIZATIONS IDENTIFIED

NEW REPORT HIGHLIGHTS ROLE OF GRASSROOTS NONPROFITS IN DISASTER RELIEF

National responder groups were overwhelmed by the monumental task of providing relief to hundreds of thousands of Hurricane Katrina victims, shifting a large burden onto small relief agencies. However, these local groups received limited support and coordination from FEMA and the American Red Cross, according to a report by Tony Pipa, Weathering the Storm: the Role of Local Nonprofits in the Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort, commissioned by the Nonprofit Sector and Philanthropy Program (NSPP) of the Aspen Institute.

"Hundreds of churches and soup kitchens stepped in to fill the service gap created by such a huge catastrophe," said Aspen Institute President and CEO Walter Isaacson, who also serves as vice-chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. "In planning for future disasters we must find a way to better integrate all nonprofits into the response and ensure that they have the resources necessary to serve their communities."

To address the problems related to real-time coordination between nonprofits and local, state, and federal government agencies, the report recommends the formation of a high-level coordinating body that would assist in defining roles and resolving coordination issues.

From author Pipa's conversations emerges a picture of a disaster response that was overwhelmed by the size of Katrina. With more than one million people left homeless, shelters sprouted up across the Gulf Coast, often under the auspices of a church or human service provider. But neither the tremendous outpouring of charitable support nor the supplies of the federal government filtered down to these organizations, leaving them vulnerable to closing or reductions in services.

One bright spot was the participation of experienced international relief organizations such as Oxfam America and Mercy Corps, which successfully applied many of their standard methods. Working in partnership with local intermediary organizations, they channeled funds and resources quickly to local agencies.

Drawing on these experiences, Mr. Pipa developed recommendations for improving the disaster response of both government and nonprofits. Among them are:

• The creation of a high-level coordinating body that is inclusive of a wider range of private agencies that might respond to a catastrophe.
• The creation of a special Congressional designation - to be used during exceptional crises only – that, once invoked, mandates the American Red Cross to contribute five percent of its overall fundraising for that disaster to locally-based agencies.
• More flexibility by both FEMA and private foundations in their reimbursement and grantmaking policies to help funds get to organizations faster and allow them to be used for general operating expenses.

You may download the press release or the full report.

Attachments

	Weathering the Storm full report (649K) [download]
	Katrina Press Release (43K) [download]