Gulf Coast Generosity

We all know how badly some responded to the devastation of Hurricane Katrina, so it is bracing to hear about others who have really stepped up in the aftermath of that and other Gulf Coast storms. A press release from the Foundation Center brings us good news on this front, so to speak, exactly four years to the day after Katrina touched down in southern Louisiana.

According to an update to the center's study titled “Giving in the Aftermath of the 2005 Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Profile of the Ongoing Foundation and Corporate Response (2007-2009),” between January 2007 and summer 2009, foundations upped their giving by $125 million for post-hurricane recovery and rebuilding.

The stars of this show are 112 independent, corporate and community foundations that went to bat for the Gulf Coast starting at the beginning of 2007. Almost a quarter of that support went to economic and community development efforts, the bulk of which was contributed by the Ford Foundation. A focus on economic development contrasts with the prioritization of human services and relief efforts in the immediate aftermath of Katrina and Rita, a shift that speaks to the area's progress in regaining a stable footing.

If you're interested in knowing more about foundations' involvement in the rebuilding process, the Foundation Center has much more to offer. The center's Web site features a "Focus on Gulf Coast Hurricane Relief" section, which the press release describes as “a one-stop information hub of fast facts, visual snapshots of data, research, and related news.” You can download the report here and explore interactive maps and charts that illustrate the types of activities and places covered by 4,400 of the grants totaling more than $850 million.

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