Impact of Hurricane Sandy on Staten Island Nonprofits: A Town Hall Event

This Dara Major Philanthropy Consulting report summarizes findings from a Town Hall event convened by the Staten Island Foundation (SIF) and the Staten Island Not-for-Profit Association six months after the Hurricane Sandy storm devastated New York.

Leaders from the nonprofit, philanthropic, and public sectors, including NYHealth, gathered for a discussion on how to build greater understanding about the impact of Hurricane Sandy on Staten Island-based nonprofits, with a focus on their infrastructure and capacity. In the aftermath of the disaster, NYHealth awarded SIF a grant to help bolster SIF’s health-related recovery mission and strengthen its ability to leverage funding opportunities for the Staten Island community.

Six months after Hurricane Sandy, Staten Island’s nonprofits were at an inflection point—the full scope and scale of the storm’s impact and the challenges of long-term recovery were just coming in to focus. The Town Hall was convened with the goal to hear from nonprofits about the impact of Hurricane Sandy on their ability to carry out their missions and discuss the issues and challenges facing these nonprofits in the aftermath and beyond. The report examines the findings from the event, presents key points, and offers action steps for nonprofits.