Generosity as climate resilience: A philanthropic disaster relief strategy
Can philanthropic generosity be a source of climate resilience?
There’s no denying the heartbreak we feel when climate disasters devastate communities around the world. Yet we also find hope in what often follows: an outpouring of giving. In the last few years, amid ongoing recovery from the pandemic and record-breaking climate events, we saw high levels of philanthropy focused on climate change mitigation in 2022.1,2 When we direct donations to the communities harmed by climate disasters, we help them recover, rebuild, and adapt for the future.
If we are thoughtful about these contributions, we can help build resilience by ensuring that affected communities have more reliable recovery funding—not only immediately after an adverse event, but in the time afterward that it can take to re-establish themselves. Let me explain how.