March 25, 2010 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Foundations need to resist the temptation to give during the emotionally-charged days and weeks following a catastrophe, speakers told participants at the Katrina @ 5: Partners in Philanthropy conference, in New Orleans.
“When disasters hit domestically, it’s impossible to overestimate the CNN effect that happens,” said Brad Myers, a program officer at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. “Even people who should know better, professional philanthropists and board members of these large foundations, get caught up in the pathos of it all.”
If foundation officials wait and make more measured decisions, their grant making will be more successful, John G. Davies, chief executive of the Baton Rouge Area Foundation told conference participants.
“The early philanthropic investor needs to be satisfied that some portion of that gift is not going to be effectively used,” he said. “And you have to be OK about that, because that’s the nature of catastrophic disaster.”
Mr. Davies advised foundations that want to make disaster grants in regions where they do not have established relationships to take advantage of community foundations’ deep local knowledge of the local nonprofit landscape.
“That is the issue very quickly, to find out who is the trusted partner who can be your eyes on the ground,” he said. “We ended up doing that for many people [after Hurricane Katrina]. We’re certainly flattered that happened, but it was a huge responsibility.”
The Hilton Foundation has a program area dedicated to disaster grant making.
While it may not be realistic for every foundation, there are ways that grant makers can incorporate disaster preparedness into their giving, said Mr. Myers.
“Suppose I’m funding a school,” he said. “In addition to what they ask for, tack on about 10 percent and make the next payment on that grant be dependent on them coming up with a disaster-preparedness plan.”
One tenant of disaster grant making that everyone likes to talk about is coordination and collaboration, but in reality, it’s very hard to do, Mr. Myers told the audience. He recommended that grant makers start making joint grants now.
Said Mr. Myers: “Practice making grants collaboratively when the pressure isn’t on.
