Agenda

Welcome to Summit Address

What are the separate and the joint roles of the government, corporate, and philanthropic/nonprofit sectors in preparing for and responding to disasters through volunteering, donations, and raising awareness?

How does a nonprofit organization decide whether or not to fund emergency disaster relief?
Should philanthropy be directed more toward strategic giving in anticipation of a disaster?
What do we know (and what should we know) about the differences between strategic philanthropy in anticipating disaster and heartfelt charitable responses to disaster as it is occurring?
What motivates individuals, foundations, and corporations to give or not give to disaster relief and build the civic health of a community so that it is prepared before a disaster occurs?

How do the media shape the philanthropic and public responses to disaster and what is their collective moral responsibility?
What makes a disaster important?
Who declares a “national disaster,” and what does this designation mean?
What role do media play in assessing and characterizing the response to disaster?
What is the emerging role of citizen reporting and “junk journalism” in shaping public response?
What impact do media have on the “completion” of a disaster?

How do we create effective relationships among the sectors in anticipating and then responding to disaster?

What influences fundraising for disasters? Is it trust in the responding organizations, donor fatigue, donor betrayal, or media attention?
Do we know enough about disaster philanthropy to ensure accountability, effectiveness, and efficiency?
What capacity do donors have for assessing, in turn, the capacity and capability of responders to act effectively, immediately, and responsibly?

Who and what facilitate collaboration?
How should leadership be distributed across levels of government and among organizations for disaster planning, response, and recovery?
What capacities must leaders have to prepare for collaborative activity?

How do we achieve civic health in preparing for disasters?
How ready are we for disaster, and what should we be doing to get ready for disaster in our own communities?

What have we learned?
What do we need to do now?
Is there a research agenda that should be defined?
Should there be a donor “bill of rights”?
Should there be directives for the responsibility of local communities to prepare for disaster by having a plan for coordination, donations, volunteers, and communication?
Who should issue such directives?