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A community’s recovery from a disaster is a complex and long-term process that
involves a range of activities and many participants. Recovery involves shortterm restoration of essential community services as well as long-term rebuilding and, ideally, mitigation against future crises.

Historically, the private sector has contributed generously to immediate
disaster response efforts. However, businesses often struggle with the best
way to help with a community’s long-term recovery. Companies may be inundated
with requests to rebuild health clinics, libraries, playgrounds, schools, and other community services damaged during a disaster. The challenge is deciding which of these worthwhile causes to support to help a community return to normal or “build back better.”

This guide outlines the issues companies should consider when setting priorities in contributing to recovery efforts.

Rebuilding Our Communities is designed to help businesses ask the right questions to gather the information they need to use their resources effectively to help communities recover from a disaster.