Philanthropy in a Time of Disaster—Preparing, Responding, Recovering

Because disasters—hurricanes, earthquakes, wild fires, epidemics, large-scale acts of terrorism—touch every facet of life, and all corners of the world, all donors have opportunities to respond to extraordinary events with compassion in a way that aligns with their values and giving priorities. And there is a particularly important role for private philanthropy in responding to disasters, as private funding is more flexible and can often reach on-the-ground responders more rapidly than governmental funds can. In addition, private donors can take the long view and think about impact at all stages of disaster response.