Putnam Community Investment Consulting

What is IdeaMail?

It’s a free newsletter filled with ideas, strategies, and resources of interest to people who work in the field of philanthropy. At Putnam Community Investment Consulting (PCIC), we believe it’s important for colleagues to share useful information and resources. We’re all trying to make the world a better place, and by sharing information with foundations, nonprofits, and one another, we can succeed.

We Hope You'll Be Back!

To those of you who are reading this IdeaMail because you received a previous issue and signed up for future issues, we want to say “thanks” for being part of our online community.

If this is your first IdeaMail, we welcome you – and we encourage you to share this great resource with your colleagues. Like this one, future editions will be brief, concise, and packed with useful ideas. Upcoming topics will include tips for developing effective grant making programs and much more.

About Putnam Community Investment Consulting
A trusted partner for philanthropic organizations

Putnam Community Investment Consulting (PCIC) is a leading philanthropy and nonprofit consulting firm. We work in partnership with philanthropic foundations and nonprofit organizations to assess community needs, develop effective programs, align organizational strategies, and evaluate impact. Read more about us.


Kris Putnam-Walkerly uses a DC to AC power inverter and her vehicle to keep 'business as usual' during a 5-day power outage.

Contact info

Kris Putnam, MSW
Putnam Community
Investment Consulting, Inc.
Midwest Office
(Cleveland area)
30628 Detroit Road, No. 222
Westlake, OH 44145

West Coast Office
(San Francisco area)
One Embarcadero Center, Ste 500
San Francisco, CA 94111

Toll-Free Tel/Fax: 800.598.2102
kputnam@putnamcic.com

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Issue 9 • March 2009

Disaster Preparedness: Are You Ready for the Unexpected?

Dear Philanthropy Professional,

If you’ve ever found yourself in the midst of a natural disaster, you know how quickly a fire, flood, or earthquake can erase any illusion of personal safety. In 2005, my own first-hand look at the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina opened my eyes to the power of Mother Nature. More recently, a five-day power outage caused by high winds and storms impacted my home, my office, and my entire community.

Disasters come in all forms, and they can strike whether the economy is strong or in crisis. You can’t prevent disaster, but you can prepare for it. The key: put a plan in place to protect your assets, sustain productivity and provide support where you are able. Over the years, we’ve worked with many foundations to strengthen disaster preparedness in the philanthropic sector. With this issue of IdeaMail, we share some of our ideas and resources. Use them today, so you can be prepared for tomorrow.

With Warmest Wishes,

Kris Putnam-Walkerly, MSW
President
Putnam Community Investment Consulting Inc.

“What If?” Five Tough Questions to Ask Yourself Right Now.

Could you effectively continue serving your clients and grantees if:

1. Your entire office was destroyed by a fire or flood tonight?

2. Your technology was corrupted and all your files were lost?

3. Your area was struck by a tornado, earthquake or other natural disaster?

4. Your employees couldn't show up for work due to a state of emergency?

5. Your offices were forced to close down for a day, a week or a month?

If you answered "no" to any or all of these questions, read on!

Five Compelling Reasons To Put Preparedness on Your “To-Do” List.

Most of us go through our daily routines blissfully unaware of the potential impact a disaster could have on our life, our work and the communities we serve. Why make preparedness a priority? Here are just a few reasons

1. It could take anywhere from several days to several weeks to receive food, water, electricity or medical services following a major disaster.

2. Prepared or not, your community depends on you. Nonprofits and faith-based organizations are typically expected to offer assistance in a disaster.

3. Very few foundations or nonprofits currently have response plans in place. A recent study revealed that only 19% of foundations in the San Francisco Bay Area are very prepared to operate after a major disaster. Between one half and two thirds of foundations have not yet and are unlikely to help their grantees to prepare.

4. In times of disaster, immediate availability of funds is crucial. There’s no time for lengthy proposals, due diligence, board dockets and quarterly decisionmaking.

5. The Federal government has almost no legal obligation to respond to a disaster, and historically has provided little support to local communities.

The Putnam Information Lifeline: Our Top 15 Resources for Preparedness and Response

These realities can be alarming, but help is out there! We’ve combed through stacks of reports and reviewed dozens of websites to find the best resources for disaster preparedness and response. Now we are happy to share them with you:

Online Clearinghouses for Disaster Information

1. Resources for Grantmakers: Disaster Preparedness and Response Initiative (Northern California Grantmakers)

2. Philanthropy News Digest: Disaster Relief

3. IssueLab: Disaster Relief (IssueLab)

Business Continuity Planning

4. Are All of Your Pieces in Place? Continuity Planning for Foundations (GlaxoSmithKline)

5. Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Plan (Council on Foundations)

6. Planning 4 Survival: Business Continuity Planning CD
(American Red Cross – Cleveland)

Foundation Preparedness and Response
7. Disaster Preparedness and Response Initiative: Needs Assessment (Putnam Community Investment Consulting for Northern California Grantmakers)

8. Disaster Preparedness and Response Initiative: Strategic Plan (Putnam Community Investment Consulting for Northern California Grantmakers)

9. Best Practices in Disaster Grantmaking
(New York Regional Association of Grantmakers)

10. Disaster Grantmaking: A Practical Guide for Foundations and Corporations(European Foundation Center/The Council on Foundations)

Nonprofit Preparedness and Response

11. Ready or Not? Key Findings from the Nonprofit Roadmap to Preparedness for the National Capital Region (The Nonprofit Roundtable/Deloitte)

12. BayPrep (Fritz Institute)

13. Ready or Not: Ensuring Bay Area Nonprofits Can Serve During A Disaster (United Way of the Bay Area)

14. Weathering the Storm: The Role of Local Nonprofits in the Hurricane Katrina Relief Effort (The Aspen Institute)

Personal Preparedness

15. 72 Hours (San Francisco Department of Emergency Management)

Best Practices: 5 Regional Disaster Collaboratives of Foundations and Nonprofits

Many of your colleagues in the philanthropic community have already joined forces to assess needs, coordinate planning, convene task forces and pool funds. Follow these links to see how they do it, then consider how you might do the same in your own community.

Learn All About It: Upcoming Workshops to Jump Start Your Preparedness Process.

Inspired to make preparedness a priority? Consider attending these upcoming workshops:

Cleveland Area • March 27, 2009 Business Continuity for Nonprofits Sponsored by Business Volunteers Unlimited
I will be speaking at this event, along with many other business continuity and crisis communications experts.
Seattle area • April 14-15, 2009
Partners in Emergency Preparedness Conference
Atlanta area • May 4, 2009
Disaster Grant Making: Prepare for the Future
Sponsored by Council on Foundations