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Tornado Recovery Funds: Helping to rebuild lives
& livelihoods in our region & across our state

Tornadoes in April 2011 affected people and communities in 43 counties across our state, prompting a special response from the Community Foundation in coordination with community foundations across our state. We stretched beyond on usual five-county service area to set up the Alabama Tornado Recovery Fund and to partner with generous donors who used benefit concerts and other fundraising efforts to respond to these devastating storms.

In January 2012, our community suffered additional tornado damage, adding to the burdens of individuals and families right here in the Birmingham region.  The Emergency Response Fund, already activated and funded with $200,000 from our Community Funds, will continue to respond to long-term unmet needs from these new storms through the Central Alabama Long Term Recovery Committee.

Join us with your gift through our secure on-line service, because we can do much more together. You can specify whether you want your gift to be used locally through the Emergency Response Fund or statewide through the Alabama Tornado Recovery Fund.

Reporting on response to April 2011 tornadoes

In 2011,  tornado recovery funds  of the Community Foundation supported unmet needs with $2,44 million in grants to individuals, families and communities in 25 of the 43 affected counties. This includes:

  • $661,301 in grants for long-term recovery within Birmingham region (building, repairing and/or furnishing homes for families in three counties, case management in the Birmingham region and community planning/rebuilding in Pratt City)
  • $1,777,397 in grants for long-term recovery outside Birmingham region (building, repairing and/or furnishing homes for families in 19 counties and case management in 18 counties)*

Damage in Pratt CityWhere do the grants come from? Tornado recovery funds set up to accept many variety donations, as well as Advised Funds set up with the Community Foundation as philanthropic partner.

The Alabama Tornado Recovery Fund  supports unmet needs for long-term recovery statewide through  the Long Term Recovery Committees (LTRC) serving the 43 counties hit by the 2011 tornadoes. LTRCs and organizations affiliated with LTRCs can submit proposals for grants from ATRF.

The Emergency Response Fund, established in the wake of F5 tornadoes that hit Jefferson County in 1998, supports unmet needs for recovery in Blount, Jefferson, St. Clair, Shelby and Walker counties in the wake of 2011 and 2012 tornadoes, as well as other natural disasters. The Central Alabama Long Term Recovery Committee connects these resources to individuals and families through a professional case management system and fills the gap for needs not met by insurance, FEMA, SBA and first-responder services.

The Community Foundation also serves as philanthropic partner through Advised Funds benefiting tornado survivors in the Birmingham area and across Alabama:

  • Bama Rising Fund, established by the band ALABAMA and others who wanted to use their talents to help tornado survivors. A  benefit concert in June 2011  raised $2.1 million for tornado recovery, which is being distributed through  an Advised Fund of the Community Foundation. Grants totaling $250,000 were awarded in the first round in July, $350,000 in September, $340,000 in November and $818,000 in December for a current total of $1.758 million from the Bama Rising Fund.
  • Mayor’s Disaster Relief Fund, established by the Mayor’s Office of the City of Birmingham to support tornado recovery in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa with proceeds of a July 2011 benefit concert by the pop star Rihanna.
  • Brownell Tornado Recovery Fund – World Travel for Relief, established through proceeds of a benefit auction by Brownell Travel to mark the company’s 125th anniversary and serve tornado survivors in Jefferson, Walker, Tuscaloosa and Marshall counties.

For the January 2012 or April 2011 storms, individuals and families who need assistance can call the 2-1-1 helpline. Donors can make a secure online gift to either fund or  mail a check to 2100 First Avenue North, Suite 700, Birmingham AL 35203.

Read more in documents distributed to fund donors:

*Grant totals shown above are based on work that has already been completed, is under way or is projected by the organizations receiving the grants.  Some of this work also may be included in cases reported by the Central Alabama Long Term Recovery Committee, of which the Community Foundation is a member.