Hurricane Ike Recovery Efforts Casualty of Slumping Economy
Hurricane Ike Recovery Efforts Casualty of Slumping Economy
Hurricane Ike recovery efforts have become the latest casualty of the slumping economy, the Houston Chronicle reports.
Four major fundraising campaigns launched in September after Ike slammed into the Texas Gulf Coast have raised a total of $19 million, prompting concerns that charitable contributions for recovery efforts will fall short.
In contrast, charitable giving for recovery efforts after three hurricanes — Katrina, Rita, and Wilma — struck the Gulf Coast in 2005 totaled $6.47 billion. Melissa Brown, associate director of research at the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana University, predicts that donations to Hurricane Ike recovery efforts will end up totaling a fraction of that.
Of the four funds, the Gulf Coast Ike Relief Fund at the Greater Houston Community Foundation has raised the most — $9 million — but is still far short of its original $20 million goal. The United Way's Hurricane Recovery Fund, which targets corporate givers and is focused on long-term social service needs in the region, has raised $5.2 million. And the Southeast Texas Emergency Relief Fund, which raised $3 million after the 2005 hurricanes, has raised $1.9 million for Ike recovery efforts and is no longer accepting donations.
Meanwhile, the Bush-Clinton Coastal Recovery Fund, which launched its appeal in late September, has raised $2.5 million. While the fund continues to appeal to corporate and international donors, it will not come close to matching the $135 million it raised after Katrina. "The need is tremendous, and it's unrealistic to think that one charitable fund is going to be able to fill the need," said fund chairman James A. Baker. "I think it's unrealistic that all of them together will be able to fill the need."
Kever, Jeannie.
“Ike Donations Flow Slowly as Economy Slips.”
Houston Chronicle
11/23/08.
Primary Subject: Philanthropy and Voluntarism
Secondary Subject(s): Hurricane Relief
Location(s): Gulf Coast, Texas
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