Disaster Recovery & Resiliency.

Severe Weather & Derecho Recovery Fund

The Greater Houston Disaster Alliance has established the Severe Weather and Derecho Recovery Fund to support uninsured or underinsured low-to-moderate income families affected by the severe storms, derecho winds, tornadoes, and flooding events that occurred between April 26 and May 17, 2024. The Fund will provide funds to local nonprofits to provide emergency financial assistance, home repair, and resource navigation services in Harris, Montgomery, and Waller Counties.

Greater Houston Community Foundation proudly serves as a resource and collaborative partner during great hardship, helping donors provide immediate and long-term disaster relief to Houstonians in need. Together, we can work toward effective recovery and increased resiliency in the communities we serve.

In partnership with United Way of Greater Houston, Greater Houston Community Foundation launched the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance to strengthen year-round disaster preparedness and ensure that our region has the social services network and systems in place to respond rapidly, equitably, and effectively in times of disaster.

Strengthening Disaster Preparedness Year-Round

Greater Houston Disaster Alliance

Greater Houston Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Houston launched the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance to strengthen year-round disaster preparedness and ensure that our region has the social services network and systems in place to respond rapidly, equitably, and effectively in times of disaster.

This new initiative brings together a combined 35 years of experience in philanthropic disaster response efforts. Leveraging our shared experience, this critical partnership intends to significantly enhance our region’s ability to cope with disasters, enable better allocation of time and resources during times of disaster, and ultimately, increase the speed and quality of recovery for our most vulnerable neighbors.

Greater Houston Community Foundation and United Way of Greater Houston have distributed over $250 million in disaster relief support since 2005. It is critical we invest in the systems and processes that allow us to effectively raise and distribute these resources quickly following a disaster, outside of when we are actively responding to a disaster.

The launch of the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance is made possible by a combined $1.5 million investment from Enbridge and Phillips 66. The Disaster Alliance is focused on maintaining and strengthening year-round disaster preparedness and recovery.

How Greater Houston Community Foundation Has Supported the Houston Area

As one of Houston’s leading grantmakers, Greater Houston Community Foundation is well-positioned to identify needs and invest in a validated network of agency partners throughout the Greater Houston region. We have strong partnerships with the City of Houston, Harris County, United Way of Greater Houston, nonprofit organizations, local governments, and donors that help us respond quickly and efficiently during disaster response efforts.

In addition to partnering with nonprofits, we partner with businesses looking to provide financial assistance to employees who have experienced losses from federally qualified disasters. Our experience with employee disaster relief funds makes it possible to establish a disaster response fund quickly, working to relieve affected employees as fast as possible. We help with everything from establishing eligibility requirements to managing the grant application process and distributing grant payments in accordance with IRS guidelines.

Although previous years brought many hardships for the greater Houston region, including Hurricane Harvey, COVID-19, and the 2021 Winter Storm, it also allowed us to work collaboratively with those around us to create a long-lasting impact. No matter what happens, we are here, ready to serve the community we call home.

Learn more about our Community Impact initiatives.