Disasters that occur in the Midwest affect primarily small and rural communities, these disasters – such as floods, severe storms, wildfires, and other climate and weather events – don’t usually make national headlines.

Response and recovery programs are chronically underfunded, and philanthropy plays a vital role in ensuring that communities have the resources to rebound after disasters.

The Center for Disaster Philanthropy’s Midwest Early Recovery Fund efficiently and effectively funds efforts that catalyze local-led, equitable, holistic disaster recovery.

The Midwest Early Recovery Fund fills a persistent gap in post-disaster funding, especially at the local level where, too often, communities struggle with identifying sufficient resources to address the unmet needs of those most vulnerable to the impact of disasters because of systemic inequities.

By providing grants and technical assistance to local, culturally-aligned organizations, we strengthen their capacity to offer recovery services to meet the needs of those disproportionately affected and promote solutions that lead to equitable, holistic community recovery.