Disability Funders Network Disability Funders Network

The Social Justice Movement of the 21st Century...

Building a Bridge Between Disability and Community Philanthropy

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Disability Inclusive Grantmaking is the mission of DFN: inclusion of disability in grantmaking programs and inclusion of people with disabilities in grantmaking organizations.

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September 11 and the DFN Initiative

People with disabilities were profoundly affected by September 11 in ways that were not readily visible to the rest of the world. The members of Disability Funders Network responded boldly, and DFN undertook an ongoing project focusing on emergency preparedness, which later expanded to encompass disaster relief as well.

This project is designed to ensure that foundations and corporate giving programs have the information they need to include people with disabilities and older adults in their efforts to address emergency preparedness and conduct disaster grantmaking. The project — funded by The Archstone Foundation, The New York Community Trust, the Milbank Foundation for Rehabilitation, Citigroup and the Mitsubishi Electric America Foundation — will cover:

  1. Grantmaking for emergency preparedness, disaster response, and longer term recovery;
  2. Convening community groups to gather information and address preparation, response and recovery;
  3. Raising the level of awareness of emergency preparedness issues (both within the philanthropic and nonprofit communities and general public awareness); and
  4. Foundations’ own internal disaster planning as well as planning-related advice they offer their grantees and applicants.

Products will include a manual addressing these issues for corporate, community and private/independent foundations; Web-based materials; short-hand information on inclusion to be used on the spot for grants made in response to disasters; workshops for grantmakers, and resource lists/links. To produce these materials, DFN is working with the National Organization on Disability; June Kailes; and other experts in the field of emergency preparedness for people with disabilities and older adults.

Resources

  • Bridge Multimedia
    Emergency Info Online
  • June Isaacson Kailes
    www.jik.com/disaster.html
  • Center for Disability Issues and the Health Professions and June Isaacson Kailes
    Emergency Evacuation Preparedness: Taking Responsibility for Your Safety
  • Emergency Preparedness: Taking Responsibility for Your Safety (this is a different publication than the above; from espfocus.org)
  • Center for Disability and Special Needs Preparedness
    www.disabilitypreparedness.org
  • The National Organization on Disability (NOD)
    Emergency Preparedness Initiative
    Prepare Yourself: Disaster Readiness Tips for People with Disabilities
    Emergency Preparedness Research Paper Directory

Specific Issues in Recovery

DFN Publications