Reflections on Council on Foundations session:  Strategic Grantmaking for Disasters

Thanks to everyone who joined us at the Council on Foundations Annual Conference.  The Conrad N. Hilton Foundation sponsored a discussion on Grantmaking for Disasters to foster a better understanding of best practices and how to respond more strategically when disasters occur.

The audience heard from three expert panelists (from Left to Right): Ed Cain, Vice President--Grant Programs; Regine Webster, Executive Director, Center for Disaster Philanthropy; and Jeanne O'Donnell, Program Manager, Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management.

The session began with a reflection on the terminology used in the field of disaster response, and asked the following questions:  How is relief different from recovery? At which point does the former transition to the latter? When is it appropriate to speak of 'preparedness' as opposed to 'mitigation' or 'risk reduction'?

The answers to these questions can reasonably vary, so it is especially important to be clear on terminology when entering into dialogue in this arena.  The panelists agreed that a three- or four-phase disaster continuum--including immediate needs, long-term needs, mitigation and development--was a fruitful place for foundations to begin organizing their thoughts around an appropriate disaster response.

The conversation then addressed the topic of coordination in the aftermath of a disaster.  The panel agreed that philanthropy has a role to play to convene stakeholders in addition to its grantmaking activities.

One practice that is featured in the Hilton Foundation's In Practice paper involves setting aside funds for long-term recovery needs that only emerge after the media spotlight has faded.

The panel concluded that it would like to see grantmaking for disasters continue to evolve in a more thoughtful way, with a view to long-term needs and local partners.

More on the Panelists:

Ed Cain, Vice President–Grant Programs, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

Edmund J. Cain oversees all domestic and international grant programming at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, including overall responsibility for the Foundation's strategic planning. Prior to joining the Foundation, Cain served for five years as director of The Carter Center’s Global Development Initiative, which facilitated national development strategies in Albania, Guyana, Mali, and Mozambique. A senior member of The Carter Center’s Peace Program team, Cain advised former President Carter on global development issues and participated in election monitoring missions. During his 30-year tenure with the United Nations, Cain served abroad in Malaysia, Myanmar, and Afghanistan, and served as U.N. Resident Coordinator in Turkey and in Egypt. He was also the first Director of the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Emergency Response Division—predecessor to the current Bureau for Conflict Prevention and Recovery. In that capacity he oversaw the formulation of UNDP’s disaster response policy and led missions to war-torn and disaster-affected countries including Somalia, Rwanda, and Sri Lanka. Cain also served in the U.N. Secretariat as the Chief of Staff to the U.N. Undersecretary General for General Assembly and Political Affairs. A Fellow at the Harvard Center for International Affairs, Cain holds a master’s degree in public affairs from the University of Oregon and a bachelor’s degree in political science and international affairs from the University of Delaware.

Jeanne O’Donnell, Program Manager, Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management

Jeanne O’Donnell is a Program Manager for the Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management. In addition to her day-to-day emergency planning and training duties, Ms. O’Donnell is assigned to the County Emergency Operations Center (EOC) during disaster activations. She is an emergency preparedness liaison to the County’s unincorporated areas and has served as manager in Local Assistance Centers established after disasters. Prior to joining Los Angeles County, Ms. O’Donnell spent twelve years as a consultant assisting cities, counties and territories throughout the United States on post-disaster recovery efforts. A graduate of California State University, Fullerton Ms. O’Donnell earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with an emphasis in Public Relations. She recently served on the Steering Committee for a Family Assistance Center plan, a plan designed to provide assistance to friends and family of victims in mass casualty events.

Regine Webster, Executive Director, Center for Disaster Philanthropy

Regine Webster serves as Executive Director of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy. Webster previously was a senior associate with Arabella Advisors, supporting the firm’s response to Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar as well as the recent earthquakes in Chile and Haiti. Prior to that, she led the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s $15 million Emergency Relief portfolio, managing grantmaker-grantee relationships across 20 international non-governmental organizations, and executing more than 90 grants totaling more than $50 million to address crises in South Asia, Sudan, Iran, the Caribbean, and other areas. Webster holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Boston College and a master’s in Foreign Policy from Georgetown University.