The Patterson Foundation Provides $250,000 Contribution to Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund

With Tropical Storm Harvey continuing to impact southwest Texas and the surrounding region, The Patterson Foundation has provided a $250,000 contribution of unrestricted funding to the Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s (CDP) Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund. The gift is intended to strengthen CDP’s work to support medium- and long-term rebuilding efforts in the region affected by the storm — the first major hurricane to make landfall in the United States since 2005.

Hurricane Harvey touched down as a Category 4 storm Friday along the Texas coastline. The storm has caused widespread flooding and power outages impacting hundreds of thousands of people, and estimates are expected to rise as Harvey continues to inundate the region. While numerous funds have been established to provide immediate assistance to rapid relief efforts, CDP’s Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund is focused on medium- and long-term needs in the impacted region, like rebuilding homes, infrastructure, and businesses while supporting children's well-being, providing mental health services, and boosting damaged agricultural sectors.

“Images of the devastation wrought by Hurricane Harvey have galvanized myriad supporters — from individual citizen philanthropists to large philanthropic funders — to contribute to immediate, life-saving response efforts,” said Debra Jacobs, president and CEO of The Patterson Foundation. “While this support is essential, the storm’s impact will be felt long after the rains have stopped and the floods have subsided. The Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund is a vital tool to address the complex variety of medium- and long-term challenges these communities will face as they rebuild and strengthen.”

Since 2012, The Patterson Foundation has contributed more than $2 million to CDP to support efforts for major disasters such as Hurricane Sandy and the Global Refugee Crisis. This latest gift comes soon after the creation of the Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund in an effort to catalyze additional donations from other funders monitoring the disaster.

CDP works to connect donors with insight and information from experts in philanthropy to increase donors’ impact throughout the complete lifecycle of domestic and international disasters. Donors motivated to contribute to disaster-relief and recovery efforts are often unsure of where to give and how to get the most out of their money. Additionally, donations typically decline following the immediate aftermath of a disaster — leaving several important recovery projects underfunded.

"Through the Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund, CDP will provide expertise and consulting services to guide strategic thinking around effective disaster philanthropy — providing for not only short-term needs but also badly needed long-term recovery support for the most vulnerable populations in the months to come,” said Bob Ottenhoff, president and CEO of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. "The Patterson Foundation’s gift came just at the right moment, and we hope it will motivate others to get involved."

In partnership with the Council on Foundations, CDP will host a webinar today at 3:30 p.m. EST featuring representatives from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), along with disaster responders and nonprofit foundations in Texas, to share how donors can help support the response and relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey. Please visit disasterphilanthropy.org/event/hurricane-harvey-recovery-donors-can-help to register and view a complete list of speakers.

To learn more about the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and contribute to its Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund, visit www.disasterphilanthropy.org.