Philanthropic Responses to Disaster: Fit for Purpose?

• In Event: Voluntary Action in a Crisis

Abstract

We explore varieties of philanthropic response to disasters, consider whether those are best adapted to need and ask whose needs shape priorities.

Philanthropic giving is increasingly expected to respond to disasters at home and abroad, even though both governments and commercial insurance providers are active in many societies. What roles does philanthropy play? How do those roles relate to those of other players? What are the strengths and weaknesses in philanthropic responses and how might those be addressed?

We do not pretend to have the answers to these many questions. Rather, we pose them as an invitation – indeed, as a provocation – to other researchers and practitioners to explore more broadly the philanthropic dimensions of disaster response, to deepen conversations between the fields of philanthropy and disaster management, and to do so in diverse cultural, economic and political contexts. Despite the vast sums of money that flow in disaster responses and the potential reputational damage to philanthropy and nonprofits of repeated distribution ‘failures,’ this topic has been virtually ignored by scholars. Our aim in this session is to provide a conceptual framing and review of recent research, drawing on the contributions to our 2023 co-edited book, Philanthropic Response to Disasters: Gifts, Givers and Consequences, the first comprehensive exploration of disaster philanthropy.

We argue that disaster philanthropy suffers from three major shortcomings: fragmentation and unevenness of responses which makes philanthropy a fickle partner; a poor memory so that we fail to learn from the past; and a focus on immediate response rather than longer term recovery, mitigation and prevention. We assess these challenges in both the ‘getting’ (fundraising) and ‘giving’ (distribution) of resources as well in the regulation, governance and intra- and inter-sectoral roles for philanthropy. Our historical analysis of a diversity of disasters reveals an almost inevitable sequence of events in the philanthropic responses: disaster occurs, donations are mobilized; publicity is given to the vast sums raised; and questions are raised about where the money went and why the distribution process is so slow. We explore why this script is so often repeated and how it might be re-written.

References

Williamson, A., Leat, D., & Phillips, S. D. (Eds.). (2023). Philanthropic Response to Disasters: Gifts, Givers and Consequences (1 ed.): Bristol University Press.

Authors

• Diana Leat, Independent social researcher

• Susan D Phillips, Carleton University

• Alexandra Kate Williamson, Queensland University of Technology