Press Releases

Ford Foundation releases report on government and philanthropic response to 9/11

New York, New York—July 29, 2003. The Ford Foundation today announced the release of an independent report that examines the effectiveness of philanthropic and government 9/11 relief and recovery efforts in New York City. The report, "Responding to the 9/11 Terrorist Attacks: Lessons from Relief and Recovery in New York City", offers recommendations to improve preparedness for future emergencies.

Although government and philanthropic 9/11 programs provided more financial assistance than in any previous disaster, the report found significant shortcomings and policy issues that need to be addressed to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in future responses. In particular, there is a need to improve the interface between government agencies and charities, since it was often unclear where the responsibility of government ended and that of philanthropy began, according to the report.

The report makes four major recommendations. First, it encourages major cities to draw up coordinated contingency plans to assemble one-stop service centers to streamline agency collaboration and provide for coordinated case management. Second, it proposes the establishment of a national Disaster Relief and Recovery Commission with leadership representation from philanthropy, business, the media, and federal, state and local government. The commission's charge would be to review and refine existing federal programs and policies and to clarify disaster-related relief and recovery roles of the public and private sectors. Third, the report encourages charities to inform potential donors how contributions will be used while remaining flexible to meet changing needs. Finally, the report recommends a clarification in policies regarding victim compensation and criterion of financial need.

"The Ford Foundation seeks to help strengthen the country's preparedness for future emergencies," said Susan V. Berresford, president of the Ford Foundation. "This report highlights important lessons and related recommendations that require collaboration between government and the non-profit sector for their successful implementation. We hope it will contribute to a discussion of how this can be accomplished and to an agreement about how philanthropy and government agencies can work together.q

The report builds on an August 2002 study that focused mainly on philanthropic 9/11 relief and recovery efforts. Both reports were prepared for the Ford Foundation by Tom Seessel, an authority on the nonprofit sector in New York, under the auspices of Thomas Edison State College in New Jersey. Seessel interviewed more than 90 individuals, including the chief executives of major independent and corporate foundations, federal, state and local government officials, the largest relief charities and uniformed rescue workers' funds, leading nonprofit service providers and intermediary organizations, and individuals and businesses affected by the disaster.

The Ford Foundation is an independent, nonprofit grant-making organization. For more than half a century it has been a resource for innovative people and institutions worldwide, guided by its goals of strengthening democratic values, reducing poverty and injustice, promoting international cooperation and advancing human achievement. With headquarters in New York, the foundation has offices in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and Russia.