Subject: Midwest Early Recovery Fund | Connec7ons March 2019Date: Tuesday, March 19, 2019 at 9:01:13 AM Eastern Daylight TimeFrom: Nancy BeersTo: Ruja Entcheva

A signature project of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy

FROM THE DIRECTOR'S DESK

It is astonishing to realize that since the Midwest Early Recovery Fund’sinception five years ago (our first grant was March 2015 to Pilger, Nebraska),we have responded to more than 42 different disasters – tornadoes, floods,severe storms, earthquakes and wildfires – affecting over 61 differentcommunities in the 10 states covered by the Fund. With grants totaling over$2.1 million, more than 41,000 people have been directly served by ourgrantees. Read more about our grants and their impact here. Because the disasters affected mostly small, rural towns or Native Americanreservations, little to no national media attention meant few resources wereforthcoming. Yet, individuals and communities in these low-attention disastershave the same needs as those in higher profile events. That’s where ourFund steps in to help. I’d like to share with you a few things that I believe make our Fund unique:

1. We are consistently prepared to put money on the ground for low-attention disasters in our ten-state region. Every day. Every week.Every month, since March 2015.

2. We don’t invest in a community until we have made a site visit(sometimes that’s a quick 10-hour drive from my home).

3. We are local funders, using our funds to build local capacity.4. With our partners, we formed a Midwest Low Attention Children’s

Working Group to help identify resources for the distinct recovery needsof children living in our rural communities.

5. We have a focus on building local capacity around post-disaster ruralmental health.

The best part of my job is meeting so many community champions along theway. Their dedication and leadership within their communities should inspireus all! Read the full blog with more about what makes the Midwest EarlyRecovery Fund special here. Nancy BeersDirector, Midwest Early Recovery Fund

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

Hope Abounds in Van Buren Every community we visit is unique and special. In late April through earlyMay 2017, a series of heavy rain storms inundated Southeastern Missouri.These rich, lush lands, home to the beautiful Current River, were devastatedby historic flooding. The rural communities of Thomasville, Doniphan and VanBuren were nearly destroyed. Van Buren was blessed to have a group ofindividuals willing and able to take on the role of community champions. Readmy blog here. Now nearly two years later, hope abounds. Homes are beingrebuilt. New businesses are opening. We recently made a video about thehard work of rebuilding Van Buren, Missouri. These folks are resilient andCDP funding is helping the town recover. View here:

GRANTEE CONNECTIONS

Unique Solutions to Complex Problems Rural and unique, Garfield County, Montana may be home to only 1,293people, but it is also home to 87,000 head of cattle and over 17,000 sheep! In2017, this vast, 3.1-million-acre county was devastated by a series ofdisasters, including the largest in-state wildfire in Montana’s history, a severedrought and a blizzard. These disasters affected farmers and ranchers,livestock and livelihoods. They threatened a way of life some of us can onlyimagine. But these hard-working families are resilient and innovative. Readabout their very unique solution to a complex problem.

PARTNER CONNECTIONS

Bringing People Together to Help Children Our Fund is also unique because part of our work includes bringing peopletogether to advance the work of our partners and colleagues. Studies showthat children are highly affected by experiencing and recovering from naturaldisasters, but, unfortunately, services and programs that could support therecovery of children (either during preparation or recovery) are not wellunderstood or easily accessible. Funders interested in supporting childrenafter a disaster rarely understand what programs exist to mitigate the impacton children and/or how to connect their resources to those agencies whohave programs and services to support children before and after a naturaldisaster. Five Midwest partners, Camp Noah, Save the Children, Lutheran SocialService of North Dakota, CDP and Child Care Aware of America, formed aworking group, the Midwest Low Attention Disasters Children’s WorkingGroup, to develop strategic partners with resources to help children (and theircaregivers) prepare for and recover from natural disasters in the Midwest. We have now had two convenings and hosted a webinar in December 2018to inform funders and other partners about our work and how they can getinvolved. View webinar here. Although our work has just begun, we are working diligently to complete ouroutcomes which include:

Communities, funders and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) willbetter understand the resources that are available to them to supportchildren before and after a natural disaster.Stories and testimonials about successful grantmaking to serve children

Stories and testimonials about successful grantmaking to serve childrenduring recovery.A resource guide for children’s services before and during recoveryfrom a natural disaster, including where and how they are available andhow to access/fund those projects.

Stay tuned!

RESOURCE CONNECTIONS

We’re hiring! Help us transform disaster philanthropy.To learn more about your state’s climate risk factor, click here.Nancy Carlson, Minnesota Behavioral Health & Community ResilienceCoordinator, was a guest speaker at our January 2019 Midwest LowAttention Disasters Children’s Working Group convening in St. Louis. Ifyou’ll be in Minnesota in May, you should consider attending Footprint ofDisasters:Finding Strength. Register here. Amazing agenda!Mountain West VOAD’s next conference is in April in Meridian, Idaho. Youshould consider attending. Here is the registration link. Jerry Kenney, Director of Disaster Response and Recovery, Collaborativefor Children in Houston, Texas, was a guest speaker at our OctoberChildren’s Working Group Convening in Minneapolis. His work with childcare needs assessments is newsworthy! Read more.

CONNECT WITH US

For more information on the Midwest Early Recovery Fund:

Nancy Beers, nancy.beers@disasterphilanthropy.org

Regine Webster, regine.webster@disasterphilanthropy.org

CDP 24/7 Disaster Philanthropy Hotline 202-295-1026

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