The Relay Race Leg You Should Be Running

It can be helpful to think of disaster recovery funding as a relay race, where teams pass the baton at different legs to achieve a common goal — speed recovery for disaster-impacted individuals. Now more than ever, the speed of recovery is critical. During COVID-19, our homes are protecting us and we must return people to their homes as quickly as possible. Funding delays can cause disaster-impacted individuals to reach their physical, emotional and financial breaking points.

這次接力不是比賽，而是合作，需要瞭解每個跑步者在接力棒傳遞區的速度和效率。超車區是兩個跑步者在交接前一起跑步的區域。慈善事業和政府是“奔跑者”，他們在超車區一起奔跑的能力是讓家庭和社區恢復正常的關鍵。

When disaster strikes, the first runners start quickly, and so begins the first leg of the relay race. Both government and philanthropy set the pace of the race. From a philanthropic standpoint, 70–80 percent of total monetary donations are raised within the first two to three weeks of a disaster, and most of the time these funds are donated for immediate relief, not long-term recovery.

FEMA 通過個人援助 （IA） 付款為恢復提供資金方面發揮著作用，這些付款旨在滿足臨時住房、更換衣物以及可能的一些房屋維修等緊急需求。災後重建房屋和基礎設施的資金以社區發展整筆災難恢復補助金 （CDBG-DR） 的形式提供。這些資金通常至少在 2 年內不會到達受影響的居民手中。這個差距是慈善事業發揮其最重要和最持久的作用的時候：比賽的第二站。

比賽的第二回合在兩到四周后開始。FEMA、非營利組織和捐贈者已準備好將接力棒傳遞給下一位跑步者。適當的交接取決於長期恢復非營利組織，如SBP，以及獲得大量慈善投資的基金會，以保持恢復向前發展，直到聯邦長期恢復資金可用。簡單來說，金錢捐贈允許在這段時間繼續復產復，而不是聯邦政府。

The third leg of the race is when federal funding becomes available. Thousands of people who have been living in temporary housing, or in their gutted homes are now able to begin rebuilding. The runners of this leg, are long-term recovery nonprofits, government programs responsible for managing the federal funds, and for-profit contractors.

By no means is this the end of recovery, but the beginning of the last and longest leg of the race. The handoff is just as important. Success depends on the effectiveness of the government leaders running the recovery, as for many it is the first time managing millions or billions of dollars (read here about SBP’s firsthand experience and insights). While leaders set their goals and build their recovery plans with specific outcomes identified, runners in the second leg need to keep the recovery going, and they need the philanthropic dollars to do so.

慈善事業在災難恢復中的作用是填補比賽開始和結束之間的關鍵時間空白。風暴過後數月，倖存者依靠捐助者的支援。我們都是災難接力賽的參賽者，我們有責任就慈善事業做出明智的決定，讓最初的捐款能夠持續到恢復完成。

Elizabeth Egle is SBP’s Chief Development Officer.