#PhilChat: How Does Philanthropy Respond to Crisis?
Twitter debate to engage grantmakers on rebuilding communities following man-made or natural disasters
Los Angeles. New Orleans. Detroit. Through riots, hurricanes, or economic despair, each city experienced significant crisis, and each has or is on its way to recovery thanks in large part to the philanthropic sector. But what exactly is the role of philanthropy in responding to communities in crisis? What are the outcomes? While these questions will be addressed next week during the opening plenary session of the Council’s Annual Conference, we pose these challenging questions to the field now.
Please join the Council on Foundations and The Chronicle of Philanthropy during a special Twitter chat, April 26, 2–3 p.m. ET, using the hashtag #PhilChat. Representatives from the California Community Foundation, the Vermont Community Foundation, and other foundations that have actively helped communities in crisis will discuss philanthropy’s role in rebuilding communities in the wake of a crisis. Themes that will be explored include:
- With philanthropic goals tending to look toward rebuilding, how can foundations respond during the recovery phase of a crisis?
- What due diligence processes can be established in advance to streamline and speed support to those in need?
- How is organized philanthropy engaging individuals to channel them for the most good?
- How do foundations respond to outside pressure to distribute funding immediately following a crisis?
- Where are the gaps (between American Red Cross, FEMA, and other relief agencies) for philanthropy to step into the void?
- What are some creative ways foundations, government, and/or nonprofits have partnered in times of crisis?
How the Twitter chat works: Participants just need to access their Twitter accounts and follow the discussion through the #PhilChat hashtag.
The Council and The Chronicle will encourage participants to tweet questions before and during the one-hour online conversation. Some of the most common questions and requests for information will be gathered and addressed during the chat.
Participants can send messages via Twitter before the chat to the Council (@COF_) or The Chronicle(@philanthropy).
