Disaster planning for small- and medium-sized nonprofit organizations: Challenges and advantages

Tamara Klindt, MPH

doi:10.5055/jem.2010.0018

Authors

Tamara Klindt, MPH

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5055/jem.2010.0018

Keywords:

emergency planning, nonprofit organizations, readiness

Abstract

Increasingly, emergency managers are considering the role nonprofit agencies can play in improving readiness and response without giving equal consideration to what is needed to position these organizations to be able to assist. Nonprofit agencies must have comprehensive internal disaster plans if they are going to be able to offer external aid. What is being done to facilitate the development of quality disaster plans for small- and medium-sized local nonprofit groups?
Disaster planning for small nonprofits has its own distinct characteristics. Primarily, these agencies must rely on publicly available material to guide them through the planning process. This project takes a preliminary look at what disaster planning information is publicly available and how that information can be used to develop an all-hazards disaster plan for a small organization.
Through a review of publicly available planning material and the case study of a specific social service nonprofit agency, a picture begins to form of what is needed to provide a solid foundation for our community’s nonprofit organizations during large-scale emergencies.

Author Biography

Tamara Klindt, MPH

Consultant, Austin, Texas.

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