Where is the money collected for disaster relief going?
Every penny donated for disaster relief is going back into the community to help people affected by catastrophic events through The Community Foundation’s disaster relief grants to local organizations providing aid to people.
Money from the disaster response fund is awarded to organizations that apply for disaster relief grants to address needs spanning from emergency shelter, food and clean-up to mortgage, rental and rebuilding assistance, legal and mental health counseling, and more. Applying local organizations demonstrate how they will address people’s needs and the budget and timeline of their program, and if approved for grant funds, report back to us on progress toward helping disaster survivors. We are tracking grants dollars distributed, and a detailed list of ongoing disaster relief grants will always available.
Why doesn’t The Community Foundation write checks to individuals who are disaster survivors?
The Community Foundation is a grantmaker and works to strategically funnel charitable dollars to existing nonprofit programs we research, trust and know can deliver results, which means helping people recover. We are not a direct service provider and do not make grants, or provide cash, to individuals. What we do is make grants to local nonprofit organizations to catalyze and strengthen the disaster response efforts already in place and being undertaken by organizations that focus day-to-day on providing support on an individual level to victims of disaster.
We are positioned to work with our long-time nonprofit partners with systems to directly serve individuals, by funding and helping create solutions that meet survivors’ needs. Through our disaster relief grantmaking to local organizations with established response efforts, The Community Foundation is stretching charitable dollars to help as many people as possible in their recovery.
Does The Community Foundation make money from disaster relief funds?
No. The Community Foundation collects no fee whatsoever from disaster relief contributions. We make no money from disaster relief funds and distribute every penny through an established application system to local organizations providing aid to disaster survivors.
Why does The Community Foundation have a role in disaster response and what does that look like?
Community foundations exist to be a steward of charitable resources and to have expertise and knowledge of the particular community they serve, including that community’s needs and the local organizations with programs and solutions for those needs. The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee has 30 years of experience as a community resource, overseeing charitable dollars and facilitating grants dedicated to improving the 40 counties of Middle Tennessee we serve. We’re positioned to accept undesignated contributions, meaning donors trust our experience, expertise and systems, that are pinpointed to meet the unique needs a natural disaster creates.
