Measuring The State of Disaster Philanthropy
Data to Drive Decisions
A Lassen Hotshot pauses during a burning operation in California. Mike McMillan / USFS
Disasters and humanitarian crises affected millions of people globally in 2018. Donors responded generously to these disasters: How were their dollars allocated?
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy is proud to partner with Candid (formerly Foundation Center and GuideStar), the leading source of information about philanthropy worldwide, to present this interactive dashboard, which provides an analysis of disaster-related funding by foundations, governments, corporations, and individuals. The data presented here illuminate funding trends, expose imbalances in where and when contributions are made, and can help donors make more strategic decisions about their investments in the full life cycle of disasters, including preparedness and recovery efforts.
Explore the Data Download the ReportWhat Types of Disasters Are Funded by Foundations?
Belongings of victims left behind in the damaged houses after being hit by a tsunami on December 26, 2018 in Ujung Jaya village, Indonesia. heyfajrul / GettyImages
Over a third of private giving is done in less than the first four weeks of a sudden disaster...and two-thirds within two months. This giving stops almost completely after five or six months.
What Disaster Assistance Strategies Are Funded by Foundations?
- Resilience, Risk Reduction, & Mitigation 1% of giving$3,218,00015 grants
- Preparedness 7% of giving$15,361,91433 grants
- Response & Relief 38% of giving$86,435,333576 grants
- Reconstruction & Recovery 19% of giving$43,710,796198 grants
- Multiple Strategies 20% of giving$45,755,694111 grants
- Unspecified 14% of giving$30,878,417170 grants
- Other 1% of giving$3,339,63919 grants
U.S. Soldiers assigned to 218th Brigade Support Battalion, South Carolina Army National Guard, from Orangeburg, SC, pick up cots and blankets for the American Red Cross after Hurricane Florence. Sgt. Jorge Intriago / South Carolina National Guard
Every dollar you spend upfront in some type of resilience initiative can be helpful to prevent the same recurring events that happen if all you do is respond after disasters.