A practical guide to grants for disaster relief and resilience work, federal FEMA programs, HUD CDBG-DR, foundations, and how to fund resilience and response.
Disaster relief, recovery, and resilience funding has expanded substantially with climate and infrastructure investment. Major federal programs (FEMA, HUD CDBG-DR), state programs, and foundations all flow significant resources.
TL;DR
- Who funds disaster work? FEMA, HUD CDBG-DR/CDBG-MIT, USDA, EPA, state programs, foundations, community foundations, American Red Cross, faith-based.
- Who can apply? States, local governments, tribal entities, nonprofits, individuals/households (through some programs).
- What gets funded? Response, recovery, mitigation, resilience, planning, infrastructure, individual assistance.
Federal Funding
FEMA Public Assistance, Individual Assistance, Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC), Flood Mitigation Assistance.
HUD CDBG-DR (Disaster Recovery) and CDBG-MIT (Mitigation), congressional-appropriation-dependent post-disaster.
USDA rural emergency programs and EQIP for conservation recovery.
EPA for environmental cleanup and resilience work.
DOT for transportation resilience.
DOE for grid resilience.
State Programs
State emergency management agencies administer most FEMA funding via subgrant. Engage your state EMA and recovery agency.
Foundation Funders
- Center for Disaster Philanthropy.
- American Red Cross.
- Direct Relief.
- JPMorgan Chase & Co. Foundation.
- Walmart Foundation.
- Community foundations that establish disaster funds after events.
- Faith-based foundations.
What Gets Funded
- Emergency response.
- Long-term recovery (housing, infrastructure, livelihoods).
- Mitigation (flood protection, fire-hardening, infrastructure).
- Resilience planning.
- Community preparedness.
- Mental health and behavioral health post-disaster.
Tips for a Competitive Application
- Document specific disaster declaration and damages.
- Address mitigation and resilience wherever applicable.
- Show equity for disadvantaged communities historically underserved in recovery.
- Coordinate with state EMA and local emergency management.
- Plan for long timelines. Disaster recovery funding moves slowly.
How Grantboost Helps
Grantboost surfaces disaster and resilience funding across FEMA, HUD, USDA, EPA, state, and foundation sources, with drafts in your organization’s voice (see training AI on your past proposals).
Read next:
- HUD Grants: A Guide to Department of Housing and Urban Development Funding
- Grants for Climate Organizations
- Bridge Grants and Emergency Funding
Further Reading
- FEMA grants
- HHS ASPR (Public Health Emergency)
- American Red Cross
- Grants.gov (federal funding portal)
- Wikipedia: Federal Emergency Management Agency
Disclaimer: Grant programs, eligibility rules, deadlines, and policies vary by region and change frequently. The information in this article is for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current rules in your area. Always consult a local grant writer or qualified expert in your region for advice specific to your organization, project, and jurisdiction.