Community Resilience

Our efforts to provide support that increases the resilience of communities in the face of crises are wide-ranging and include:

• rapid-response grants
• organizing press calls
• innovating on providing support for wellness
• finding ways to support operational infrastructure

Working Together to Face Crises

Frontline organizations increasingly provide on-the-ground disaster response and mutual aid during crises. And they usually don’t have enough resources to play this role. In nearly every community The Solutions Project funds, onsite solar generators and water filtration systems are needed to prepare for interruptions to power and water supply.

In 2021, and previous years, we mobilized a rapid-response grant cycle. This provided for the purchase of solar kits and generators for local distribution. For the first time, we also organized a press call to ensure frontline voices spoke directly about their experience and visions following a disaster. As a result, 19 articles were published — including in-depth coverage in USA Today and key regional outlets.

Doing More to Support Grantee Growth

We’ve learned that as our grantees’ solutions to climate, racial, and economic injustice scale, we can do more to support their institutional growth. Listening to our grantees, it is clear that philanthropy must do far more to invest in the health of frontline leaders and their organizations for the long-haul. Our CEO knows first hand why creating internal cultures of wellness is essential for frontline leaders to thrive.

We are working with our Trustees and grantees to assess how we can further innovate in philanthropy and among intermediary funds to increase support for sabbaticals, mental-health, sustainable salary structures, and stronger retirement plans. We are also considering ways to support operational infrastructure in the areas of HR systems, board development, and fundraising.