CENTER FOR DISASTER PHILANTHROPY INC
We know disasters so you don't have to
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) is the only full-time resource dedicated to helping donors maximize their impact through expert resources, community-driven grantmaking and philanthropic consulting services. A pandemic, hurricanes, wildfires, floods and human-made crises continue to threaten the lives and livelihoods of billions of people worldwide. This creates a critical need for knowing when to respond and how to do so effectively and equitably. Since 2010, CDP has been helping individuals, foundations and corporations increase the effectiveness of their philanthropic response to disasters and humanitarian crises.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
CDP Disaster Recovery Fund
In the wake of a disaster, emotions run high. Dramatic images circulate alongside startling statistics of lives lost and billions of dollars in damages.
Were moved to do somethinganythingto help. Immediate needs must be met. Lives must be saved and vital functions restored. But if disaster funding begins and ends there, the opportunity for strategic long-term recovery and true rebuilding of the community has passed.
Imagine, instead, the tactical allocation of funds across the entire disaster life cycle, from disaster preparedness through long-term recovery. With thoughtful analysis ahead of the disaster, each dollar given in response can be used to its full potential. That not only means less waste and duplication of efforts; it also means combined dollars can reach further toward solutions.
CDP Global Recovery Fund
CDP's Global Recovery Fund provides donors with an efficient, flexible solution to support recovery efforts for people affected by sudden and slow-onset disasters or protracted humanitarian emergencies worldwide.
Your generosity gives CDP the flexibility to allocate your donation to where it is needed most to address critical medium- to long-term recovery needs worldwide.
You can be confident that your gift is having maximum impact on those who need it most. You may also designate your support to an active disaster.
CDP COVID-19 Response Fund
In March 2020, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) launched the CDP COVID-19 Response Fund to support containment, response and recovery activities for those most affected and to save lives, prevent and reduce human suffering, and restore dignity to affected populations.
CDP's flexible, adaptive approach deploys contributions to thoughtfully and rapidly address urgent issues while constantly monitoring and reassessing individual and community needs in the U.S. and worldwide.
CDP has distributed more than 200 grants totaling $42,489,478 to more than 170 organizations working in the U.S. and abroad, including grants to fund projects in collaboration with other CDP funds.
CDP California Wildfires Recovery Fund
Since 2017, California has experienced record-breaking wildfires and fire seasons.
The Center for Disaster Philanthropy's California Wildfires Recovery Fund supports communities across the state as they work to rebuild and recover from wildfires.
Since its inception, CDP has awarded grants to nonprofits and community groups in northern and southern California to help families and entire communities recover through targeted grantmaking that prioritizes medium- to long-term recovery, especially among populations made vulnerable by systemic inequities.
With an intersectional racial equity lens and an emphasis on medium- and long-term recovery, CDP works to identify the best way to direct financial support where it is needed most in California.
* Gives locally and prioritize grants to small nonprofits and community groups.
CDP Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund
The CDP Atlantic Hurricane Season Recovery Fund supports initiatives that prioritize communities devastated by Atlantic hurricanes, especially those facing systemic barriers to equitable recovery.
The fund focuses on the greatest areas of need for the recovery process. CDPs approach is community- and expert-informed, focused on medium- and long-term recovery, and rooted in using an intersectional racial equity lens.
CDP Turkey & Syria Earthquake Recovery Fund
On Feb. 6, 2023, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake hit southern Turkey near the northern border of Syria. Approximately nine hours later, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake shook the area around 59 miles (95 kilometers) to the southwest. The earthquakes killed more than 50,000 people and displaced almost 6 million.
CDPs Turkey & Syria Earthquake Recovery Fund supports the most underserved and at-risk earthquake-affected families and communities as they work to rebuild and recover. The fund provides targeted grant making that prioritizes needs identified in collaboration with local partners.
CDP Tornado Recovery Fund
Known as natures most violent storms, the U.S. is home to more tornadoes than any other country.
CDP has been active in tornado recovery since our founding. With the recent increase in tornadoes even in the winter there is no longer a tornado season, and the historical Tornado Alley stretching across the United States is growing larger.
CDPs Tornado Recovery Fund allows donors to target their contributions to meet specific medium- and long-term philanthropic goals for communities affected by tornadoes in the United States.
CDP Global Hunger Crisis Fund
A global food insecurity crisis is threatening the lives of millions worldwide, most acutely in the Horn of Africa.
CDPs Global Hunger Crisis Fund supports vulnerable, marginalized and at-risk groups to prevent and address extreme hunger and malnutrition and their urgent, life-threatening impacts. CDPs efforts are focused on long-term recovery and building resilience to current and future conflict, climate-related drought and food insecurity.
CDP Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Recovery Fund
On Feb. 24, 2022, Russian President Vladimir Putinannounced the beginning of a full-scaleland, sea and air invasion of Ukraine. Since then, the war has had a devastating impact on civilians, resulting in significant humanitarian needs.
CDPs Ukraine Humanitarian Crisis Recovery Fund focuses on addressing humanitarian needs that arise, particularly among the most vulnerable, marginalized and at-risk populations, such as internally displaced peoples and refugees, women and children, people with disabilities, older people, LGBTQIA+ populations, and the Roma community.
Where we work
External reviews
Photos
Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Evaluation documents
Download evaluation reportsTotal dollar amount of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Economically disadvantaged people, Victims of disaster, Emergency responders, Indigenous peoples
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Total number of grants awarded
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Emergency responders, Economically disadvantaged people, Victims of disaster, Indigenous peoples
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Average grant amount
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Population(s) Served
Victims of disaster, Economically disadvantaged people, Emergency responders, Indigenous peoples
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of donations made by board members
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Other - describing something else
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Numbers are estimates
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Our Vision: A world where the impact of disasters is minimized by thoughtful, equitable and responsible recovery for all.
With our emphasis on medium- and long-term recovery and equity-focused disaster giving, CDP:
- Directs financial and technical support where it is needed most.
- Provides expert and timely advice from professionals with deep disaster planning, response and preparedness expertise, and experience as philanthropists.
- Offers educational resources so you can make informed decisions about where and when to give.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
- Educate and inform. As the expert on all issues regarding the life cycle of disasters, CDP is active throughout the year, widely disseminating its expertise through its website, the media, webinars and partners.
- Help donors collaborate. CDP helps funders learn, present opportunities for collaboration and help leverage their collective strength through funds and other activities.
- Be a thought leader. CDP provides leadership in transforming the way government and philanthropy respond to disasters.
- Coordination. CDP helps philanthropists coordinate giving across sectors to achieve maximum impact, leverage and timing of gifts.
- Increase effectiveness and impact. CDP helps to increase the effectiveness of donor dollars given for disasters.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Since its founding, CDP has focused solely on disasters. It is uniquely qualified to direct philanthropic responses to sudden, weather-related events, unprecedented occurrences such as the pandemic and protracted complex humanitarian emergencies.
Its team has extensive experience in disaster relief and recovery, nonprofit management, and effective grant making. CDP has a remote working structure that gives the organization a presence in key areas, prone to disasters.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
CDP adopted a new five-year strategic plan in 2023 that builds on successes, lessons learned and progress from the past years to help strengthen communities before and after disasters.
Over the past several years, CDP has:
- Increased its public profile and shared its expertise with a significant number of philanthropic organizations, media outlets and corporate partners in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
- Vetted lists of nonprofit partners responding to the pandemic were shared broadly to increase access to providers.
- Completed a survey of 254 grantee partners with much to reflect on, celebrate , and learn.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We share the feedback we received with the people we serve, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
We don’t have the right technology to collect and aggregate feedback efficiently, Staff find it hard to prioritize feedback collection and review due to lack of time
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
CENTER FOR DISASTER PHILANTHROPY INC
Board of directorsas of 03/04/2024
Tiffany Benjamin
Humana Foundation
Term: 2023 -
Anita Whitehead
KPMG
Sabrena Silver
White & Case LLP
Christine Riley Miller
BeiGene
Tiffany Benjamin
Humana Foundation
Travis Campbell
AMD
Heather Geronemus
UKG
Paul Cheung
The Center for Public Integrity
Tamara Winfrey-Harris
Women's Fund of Central Indiana
Kristen Woolf
EMpower
Jeff Terry
GAF
Ron Estrada
Farmworker Justice
Tiana Austel
eBay
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Transgender Identity
Sexual orientation
Disability
Equity strategies
Last updated: 01/26/2022GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.