The Association of Baltimore Area Grantmakers is committed to supporting the coordination and education of the Baltimore Area philanthropic sector to effectively prepare for, respond to, and recover from a major local disaster.
Preparedness Begins at Home
We encourage and support ABAG staff and members to have a family emergency kit and plan. This increases the likelihood that individuals and their families can cope with the disaster without outside help and maximizes their ability to respond effectively to a disaster.
A good emergency plan should include (but is not limited to) the following: - A printed list of key contact numbers for each family member and loved one;
- A strategy for reuniting family members, including an out-of-state telephone number, which family members can use to contact each other if local lines are overloaded;
- Escape routes from home;
- Inventory of key personal financial and legal records; and
- Emergency provisions for up to 3 days. For more information about emergency provisions, visit the American Red Cross website or www.ready.gov to learn what should be in an emergency kit.
Disaster preparedness for our members.
ABAG is undertaking a variety of Emergency Preparedness activities to help our members and their staff be better prepared in the event of an emergency
The Personal Emergency Records Toolkit is one such resource we will provide on the subject. Personal Emergency Records Toolkit
This Toolkit is designed to help individuals gather and safeguard important financial and legal records and contacts so they are easily accessible in the event of an emergency. It can be part of your Family Emergency Supplies Kit.
Download a Family Emergency Plan, Personal Emergency Checklist, and Simple Disaster Preparedness Tips & Contact Cards.
For more information about how to avoid a financial crisis if you ever experience a disaster read: Disasters and Financial Planning: A Guide for Preparedness by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), AICPA Foundation, the American Red Cross, and the National Endowment for Financial Education®.
Your Foundation's Emergency Plan
ABAG has developed an Emergency Plan Template for our foundation members. It is intended to communicate your organization's policies and procedures to be followed during an emergency situation. It is available as a PDF or a Word Document so that you may insert your own information throughout to personalize the plan to your organization.
Another template of a Disaster Preparedness and Recovery Plan is available from the Council on Foundations. Although it was developed for Community Foundations, it can be adapted for all types of foundations.
PreparedOnline.org is a free, easy-to-use online Continuity of Operations (COOP) Planning tool for nonprofit organizations. The site helps organizations to assess their current level of preparedness and provides tools, templates and other resources for organizational COOP planning.
Looking for a fun way to begin thinking about this? Try the Game on Disaster Preparedness at your next staff meeting.
Comments or suggestions about these resources? Please contact Elisabeth Hyleck.
