Immediate Action and Ongoing Support

How We Respond to Disasters in Our Community

When communities are in crisis after a disaster, they immediately turn to local philanthropy to assist in addressing immediate suffering and planning for emerging needs—physical and behavioral health, housing, meals, environmental safety, and economic and educational losses. Community foundations are trusted disaster partners in the nonprofit infrastructure, advocating for service providers, advising donors, and ensuring that recovery investments are equitable and sustainable. “Build back better” is more than a motto; it is a mission.

For more than twenty years, CFMT has been called on to support our region in climate-related events and other crises. These events have varied in size and scope and have negatively impacted property, service delivery, and human life. In recent years, we have responded to tornadoes, floods, a derecho, the pandemic, and mass violence.

Our decisions to raise money and distribute disaster funding are built on our knowledge of pre-existing needs, conversations with the affected survivors, assessments of damage, and opportunities to collaborate with other funders to maximize impact.

We take seriously our role as a neutral convenor and the voice of underserved populations in disaster planning. Our work is centered on equity and biased toward long-term recovery where the costs are greatest and private funding is least available.

Interested in learning more about CFMT’s disaster response?

Reach out to Pat Lawson, our lead on disaster response efforts in Middle Tennessee.