New disaster recovery fund established

A special community-wide fund to help those affected by tornadoes and other natural disasters in 2013 has been established in a collaborative effort between the Community Foundation of Central Illinois and the Tri-County Long Term Recovery Committee.

The Central Illinois Disaster Recovery Fund will accept tax-deductible donations that will be used to provide grant support to nonprofit organizations engaged in meeting the long-term recovery and rebuilding needs of individuals who have been impacted by a disaster, according to the CFCI. The LTRC Steering Sub-Committee, through its case management activities, will make recommendations to the CFCI Board of Directors about where unmet needs and funding gaps exist. Grants will then be made from the fund to help address those needs, a news release said.

"We are pleased to partner with the Tri-County Long-Term Recovery Committee to establish the Central Illinois Disaster Recovery Fund," said Mark Roberts, CEO of the Community Foundation. "CFCI feels that it is critically important to have a fund in place that will help the community recover not only from recent disasters, but from future disasters as well. At this time we are encouraging donors, including individuals, corporations, private foundations and others, to look ahead as disaster victims work to rebuild their lives and neighborhoods in the months and years to come."

Contributions are already being accepted, the release said. Credit card donations can be made online through the CFCI website at communityfoundationci.org. Checks can be mailed to the CFCI office at 331 Fulton, Suite 310, Peoria, IL 61602. Please designate your gift for the Central Illinois Disaster Recovery Fund.

All contributions are tax-deductible, and no portion of the Central Illinois Disaster Recovery Fund will be used for CFCI's administrative or operational expenses, the release said. 

For more information contact the CFCI office at (309) 674-8730 or email mark@communityfoundationci.org.

CFCI was established in 1985 by a group of community-minded citizens to meet a wide variety of social, cultural, educational, and other charitable needs throughout central Illinois. CFCI carries out its mission by working with donors to establish permanent endowment funds to be used as charitable capital for enhancing the quality of life in the central Illinois community. CFCI maintains high professional standards in the investment and management of the funds entrusted to the Foundation, and promotes effective and efficient grant making to serve current and future needs of central Illinois. For more information, please visit www.communityfoundationci.org.

The purpose of the Tri-County LTRC is to provide a coordinated recovery effort for persons within Peoria, Tazewell, and Woodford counties affected by disasters. Its mission is to strengthen area-wide disaster coordination through information sharing, simplifying the access to available resources for individuals and families, and jointly resolving cases with unmet needs from disasters.

The vision of the Tri-County LTRC is to prepare the community to get back to normal more effectively and efficiently after future disasters.