Areas in Texas and Louisiana have experienced extreme flooding due to Hurricane Harvey, a record-breaking storm.  As always, philanthropy is stepping forward to assist those whose lives have been devastated by the flooding.  GCRI sister organizations in the region, as well as individual local foundations have established relief funds in the region, to assist in the long recovery and rebuilding process.

How to Help

Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund
The Greater Houston Community Foundation
After receiving an overwhelming number of inquiries from citizens and companies who want to help, Mayor Sylvester Turner has established the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund that will accept tax deductible flood relief donations for victims that have been affected by the recent floods. The Greater Houston Community Foundation is administering the fund.

Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund
The Dallas Foundation
The Dallas Foundation has also established a fund that will support nonprofit organizations providing aid to Hurricane Harvey victims.

CDP Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund
Center for Disaster Philanthropy
In response to the needs that will arise following this devastating storm, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy has established the CDP Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund that will focus on medium and long-term rebuilding needs. We expect the long-term needs to be rebuilding homes, businesses, infrastructure, meeting the needs of young children, supporting mental health needs, and boosting damaged agricultural sectors.

Best Friends’ Relief Fund
This fund brings emergency assistance to animals in the wake of disasters. Donations to this fund are used exclusively to support lifesaving work wherever and whenever a catastrophe occurs.

NOLA Pay It Forward Fund: Hurrican Harvey
Greater New Orleans Foundation
Activated by the Mayor of New Orleans in partnership with the Greater New Orleans Foundation, the NOLA Pay It Forward Fund: Hurricane Harvey will provide resources for the early relief and rebuilding efforts of those communities impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

Hurricane Harvey Relief
GlobalGiving 
This fund will initially support first responders and survivors’ immediate needs, and also direct funds to local organizations to provide long-term support and build stronger response capacity.

Hurricane Harvey Community Relief Fund
Texas Organizing Project Education Fund
Rebuilding in areas impacted by Harvey will be most challenging for marginalized communities. Nearly a quarter of Houstonians live in poverty, approximately 550,000 people, and there are about 575,000 immigrants in the Houston metro area. TOP will work to ensure that Harvey’s most vulnerable victims have access to critical services from first response and basic needs to healthcare, housing and transportation.

Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund
AARP Foundation
Recognizing the immediate and longer-term challenges so many will face in the coming days, weeks, and months – especially people over age 50 who have been affected – AARP Foundation created a relief fund to support the victims devastated by Hurricane Harvey. To meet their needs, AARP and AARP Foundation will also match – dollar for dollar – contributions up to a total of $1 million. Working with the AARP state offices in the affected areas, we will direct 100 percent of all funds raised to organizations providing relief and recovery support to disaster victims.

Houston Chronicle: How to Help Victims of the Texas Storm
The Houston Chronicle
The Houston Chronicle offers a list of local, national and global organizations that are accepting donations to help the victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Philanthropy Southwest Texas Hurricane Relief Efforts
Philanthropy Southwest
Our member located in Texas has compiled a list of Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services Harvey Fund
t.e.ja.s
The Climate Justice Alliance asks that you donate to t.e.ja.s., the oldest environmental justice organization in Houston.

Texas Tribune: How to Get (and Offer) Help After Hurricane Harvey
Texas Tribune
The Texas Tribune has compiled a comprehensive list of resources on how to help with Hurricane Harvey relief and recovery, including where to make charitable donations.

Programming to Learn More

After Hurricane Harvey: Specific Challenges Facing Immigrants and Refugees
Following Hurricane Harvey, the immediate needs of Houston’s immigrant residents are generally no different from other displaced residents; however, they also face particular circumstances that can prevent them from accssing assistance and that impair their ability to rebuild their lives and communities. Join Grantmakers Concerned with Immigrants and Refugees, Philanthropy Southwest, and Center for Disaster Philanthropy for a webinar on September 18 to learn about unique post-hurrican challenges facing immigrants and refugees, particularly those who are low-income and limited English proficient. RSVP and watch the webinar at the link above.

Hurricane Harvey Recovery: How Donors Can Help
In response to significant flooding in Texas and potentially parts of Louisiana, the Council on Foundations and the Center for Disaster Philanthropy hosted a webinar on August 29 on how to allocate resources—human, financial and technical—to meet the needs of Hurricane Harvey-affected communities. Watch the webinar recording at the link above.

Additional Resources

Creating Order From Chaos: Roles for Philanthropy in Disaster Planning and Response
The Jessie Ball duPont Fund published this guide in 2015 to outline the best roles for funders in a disaster, culled from its many decades of experience in responding to the needs of communities and nonprofits beset by disasters, human and natural alike.

Disaster Philanthropy Playbook
A compilation of philanthropic strategies, best practices and lessons learned that helps communities think through how a disaster will affect them and plan and prepare to respond when it happens. It is centered on 15 strategies, including community and economic recovery; education; health and behavioral health; aging and disabled populations; arts and culture; environment; and others. The Disaster Philanthropy Playbook is a joint project of Center for Disaster Philanthropy and Council of New Jersey Grantmakers in association with United Philanthropy Forum.

Disaster, Older Adults and Philanthropy
This article from Grantmakers in Aging details why disaster-related death rates are so much higher older adults and how philanthropy can help.

Disaster Planning and Recovery for Nonprofits, Charities, and Libraries
The Resilient Organization, developed with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, is a holistic guide to IT disaster planning and recovery. This e-book is intended for organizations that are preparing for a disaster, as well as those that need to rebuild and maintain operations after a disaster.

Measuring the State of Disaster Philanthropy: Data to Drive Decisions
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy has partnered with Foundation Center on an interactive dashboard, which provides an analysis of disaster-related funding by foundations, governments, corporations and individuals. The data presented illuminates funding trends, exposes some of the imbalances in where and when contributions are made to help donors make more strategic decisions about their investments in the full life cycle of disasters, including preparedness and recovery efforts.