Community Foundation secures $500,000 grant for flood recovery

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A $500,000 grant will rebuild nonprofit organizations and help residents impacted by the Northland’s June flood while working with specially trained disaster case managers to match available resources with a broad spectrum of unmet needs.

“Our work at the Community Foundation has revealed that nonprofit organizations need significant additional resources for their flood recovery work,” said Holly C. Sampson, president of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation. “Because of this grant, local recovery efforts will surge forward in a coordinated, collaborative fashion. Much critical work remains, especially with winter approaching.”

The grant is the largest single outside donation to help the region recover from tens of millions of dollars in damage caused by torrential rains that devastated parts of St. Louis, Carlton and other counties in Minnesota and Douglas County in Wisconsin.

As part of the region’s collaborative response, all previous Community Foundation money assisted nonprofit groups that suffered flood damage. The $500,000 will assist nonprofits but also individuals through broader outreach efforts. The money will go to address three critical areas:

Supporting disaster case managers

Disaster case managers work with clients one-on-one to help them make recovery plans suited to their needs and available resources. Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota disaster case managers work with agencies and community resources, including the Long-term Recovery Committee, to access funding and other help quickly. They serve as third-party advocates for their clients, bringing in-depth knowledge and stability necessary to get the most help for their clients while also making the most of recovery resources.

Addressing unmet needs through the Long-term Recovery Committee

Through their work, disaster case managers also play critical roles in determining the unmet needs of communities and our entire region. They report their observations to the Long-term Recovery Committee, which then provide the most-needed resources in the right locations. The Long-term Recovery Committee is primarily responsible for funds distributed by the Long-term Recovery Fund, housed at the United Way of Greater Duluth. This committee acts as a hub for information and resources regarding flood recovery.

Assisting area nonprofits impacted by the flood

The Community Foundation will continue to focus on rebuilding the region’s nonprofits impacted by the flood. Many suffered severe property damage that has prevented them from fully serving their missions, such as helping people with mental-health and housing needs.

The grant is from the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation of Eden Prairie, Minn. The Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation approached the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation to support the Northland because of its commitment to disaster-recovery grants.

“We are extremely grateful to the Margaret A. Cargill Foundation for their special interest in helping close to home when our region needed assistance,” said Holly C. Sampson, president.

Where to call if you need flood help:

- For individuals: Disaster case managers, 218-449-9480, website floodhomeswithhope.org.

- For businesses: Erik Torch, director of grantmaking with the Northland Foundation, 218-723-4040, email erik@northlandfdn.org, website northlandfdn.org.

- For nonprofits: Holly C. Sampson, president of the Duluth Superior Area Community Foundation, 218-726-0232, email grantsinfo@dsacommunityfoundation.com, website dsacommunityfoundation.com.

Tags: carlton county, flood 2012, flood information, news