NVOAD Policy Guidance
Disaster Strikes Article

National Policy Guidance

Over recent months, NVOAD has been asked by several VOADs to provide policy guidance regarding several questions relating to operations and funding. As NVOAD is in the process of concluding a three year, broad based planning process, it is now appropriate for the organization to restate its position on three of these issues:

Issue 1: How far does the NVOAD 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status extend into the membership structure.

NVOAD's tax-exemption is currently available for state VOADs with current Letters of Agreement with NVOAD. NVOAD is currently arranging for pro-bono legal services to advise the organization on our ability to extend the tax status through the state VOADs to include local VOADs. We anticipate a resolution of this question to in the fall of 1999. Motion toward resolution of this item does not impact the existing policies described in the following two points.

Issue 2: What is meant in saying that VOADs are non-operational.

The role of the VOAD is one of coordination. It is for the member groups of NVOAD to perform and deliver actual disaster response services. There are no VOAD feeding canteens, donated goods distribution centers or shelters.

However, this does not mean that the VOAD has no role once the disaster strikes. Indeed, the VOAD has a critical and active role of coordination. This role was most recently described in print in the Winter, 1996 NVOAD Newsletter by then president Michael Bruinooge. What he wrote then continues to be NVOAD's operational policy today and his article appears below this memo. Additionally, the coordinating mission of both State and Local VOADs makes them ideal forums for Long-Term Recovery (formerly Unmet Needs) Committees. Indeed, NVOAD has written the textbook on Long Term Recovery Committees (available at http://www.nvoad.org) and our members are ideally suited to fulfill this function.

Issue 3: What is the VOAD's fundraising role.

Generally, NVOAD encourages state and local VOADs to budget and raise funds for their own operations and for attendance at conferences such as the annual VOAD Conference. Often this is done through dues or in-kind contribution from the membership. The goal is to have them meet the financial needs of fulfilling the VOAD cooperative and communicative mission without developing a structure that becomes an organizational bureaucracy.

More and more, a new fundraising question is being raised by members. That is, can the VOAD play a disseminator role, receiving funds on behalf of and distributing them to members. The answer is that this is an acceptable roll for VOADs. VOAD's must approach this carefully, at the request of members and having member approved mechanisms to assure equity in distribution.

For questions or more guidance on this, contact the NVOAD executive secretary.

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When Disaster Strikes

By Michael Bruinooge

Our VOAD poster says, "The time to prepare for the next disaster... is now!" And we do emphasize preparedness in our VOAD movement -- preparedness along with training, education and mitigation. But does that mean VOAD does nothing in the response and recovery phases of disaster relief? Do we throw away our VOAD hats when the Governor or President issues a declaration?

Most of us will swing into action with our own agency hats on. We've got to! And the whole idea of VOAD is to support this. But, coordinated response and recovery doesn't come easily, no matter how much good preparation we've done.

That why the VOAD president, together with the other officers, needs to do just a few simple, but important things after disaster strikes. Here's a checklist for every VOAD.

1. Gather brief, faxed reports from your member organizations concerning what they're doing to respond to the disaster in your state, and share them with the other members.

By doing this you foster the communication that makes coordinated response possible.

This means, of course, that you should have a VOAD plan for member organizations to share their response information with the president (or another designated officer) who then shares it with all the other members. The information should be shared by the most rapid and appropriate means. Maybe that's telephone. But for most cases, fax works best.

We are in the age of the Internet and moving toward the time when every VOAD member will be able to E-mail their information. National VOAD is already encouraging this. We've had electronic "bulletin boards" for some time through a private network called Ecunet. Now we have a worldwide web home page (www.nvoad.org). And soon we'll have bulletin boards at the same web location where local, state and national members can post information and comments.

Even with this up and running, the truth is that many VOAD members at the state and

local levels don't yet have computers or access to the Internet. For the time being, at least use the phone or fax.

2. If it is a major state-level disaster, and certainly if it is a federally-declared disaster, convene a meeting of all the voluntary agency representatives at or near the disaster site.

Do this in partnership with one of your member organizations which is staffed to publicize and co-lead a first meeting with you. The American Red Cross is usually that member organization, through its VOLAG (voluntary agency) liaison officer. After the first meeting, you can usually step out of the picture as VOAD leader, and the VOLAG officer will continue to facilitate meetings as needed. But the point is that you are seeing to it that the conditions are being created to promote coordination, and you are giving visibility to VOAD and its ideals.

We have a growing number of local (municipal, district and regional) VOADs. If a disaster strikes where there's a local VOAD group, both the state and local VOAD leaders should communicate with the member representatives at their level. And, as VOAD leaders, they should also confer with each other to determine who will convene the initial coordination meeting. Ideally, they will convene it together.

3. Work behind the scenes to help identify a group or groups that will guide the long-term recovery.

After all, the emergency response period isn't the only time that cooperative, coordinated effort between voluntary organizations is important. It is just as vital during recovery. As VOAD leaders, stay involved as events move toward recovery. Use your experience and judgment to encourage the creation of a resource coordination committee--usually with a strong Interfaith organization as a member.

Also, if a number of community-based organizations new to disaster relief are interested, the time may be right to help them create a new local VOAD. The purpose of the VOAD group should be to look beyond the recovery efforts to "the next time."

4. Several weeks or months after the disaster, when the recovery is well underway, convcne a special VOAD meeting. By then, members will have regained a sense of perspective.

Organizations and the public alike will have seen how essential coordinated action is. New groups will be interested in the idea of VOAD. The lessons of the disaster will be vivid. Take advantage of the opportunity! Bring everyone together. Recruit new members. Discuss what has been learned. Revise plans. Strengthen preparedness.

When disaster strikes, be ready. Wear your own organization's hat. But, don't let VOAD fade out of sight. Keep your VOAD hat on too.

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