New Center for Disaster Philanthropy Announced; Robert G. Ottenhoff named CEO

WASHINGTON, Aug. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As we approach the anniversary of Hurricane Katrina—one of the nation's deadliest and costliest hurricanes, which made landfall in the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29, 2005—the Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) has launched. The nonprofit organization is dedicated to helping donors leverage their resources throughout the life cycle of domestic and international disasters. It was co-founded by Irene W. and C.B. Pennington President and CEO Lori J. Bertman, who serves as CDP's inaugural board chairman; Arabella Advisors Managing Director Eric Kessler; and Baton Rouge Area Foundation President and CEO John Davies.

CDP is the first permanent organization established to advise donors throughout disaster preparedness, mitigation, relief, and recovery.  The organization will provide trustworthy, objective insights and strategies from seasoned disaster philanthropy specialists.  Also on tap: mechanisms for pooling resources for maximum-impact disaster philanthropy; reliable updates and briefs on disasters for journalists, philanthropists, and others seeking to use their resources to assist; and a clearinghouse of original donor-centric content on best practices in disaster management and issues related to disaster response.

Established to help individual, family, corporate, and institutional donors leverage and coordinate their resources, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy is a unique organization in its vision and scope.  Simply put, the Center will serve as the when, where, and how of informed disaster giving.

CDP offers the following distinct services for donors:

• Strategic one-on-one guidance: Experienced professionals will maximize grantmaker   effectiveness by helping philanthropists craft strategies around their disaster giving; develop disaster-specific response programs; and conduct the necessary due diligence to identify effective grantees. 
• Community building: The Center will host a community of like-minded, engaged philanthropists in order to inspire greater collaboration and effectiveness.
• The Disaster Recovery Fund: The full-service, multi-funder grantmaking tool offers a distinctive focus on the entire landscape of disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.

CDP also provides an extensive source of knowledge to the public through its website, DisasterPhilanthropy.org, with expert information, disaster management primers, issue insights, and recent disaster updates, and will continue to produce and distribute original content.

"Living in a disaster-prone area, we have been forced to develop an expertise steeped in proactive disaster philanthropy to assist our own communities in recovery," said Center for Disaster Philanthropy Chairman Lori J. Bertman of Baton Rouge.  "We created CDP in order to help others who have suffered disasters worldwide address these events in a more effective, coordinated, and strategic manner."

Robert G. Ottenhoff, former GuideStar president and CEO and a veteran in philanthropy, nonprofit leadership, and entrepreneurship, serves as CDP president and CEO.

"When I learned about CDP's unique comprehensive approach, I jumped at the chance to be involved," said Ottenhoff, who spent a decade at the helm of the nonprofit information provider GuideStar.  "It's a field rich with opportunity for learning, growth, and moving beyond the idea of disaster-related giving as solely a quick, emotionally driven response.  I'm personally looking forward to exploring how technology and data about giving and disasters can be used to maximize increased private philanthropic funds toward disaster response, resulting in greater impact on affected communities."

While at GuideStar, Ottenhoff developed a sustainable business model which supports free and fee-based services to more than 10 million users.  Before GuideStar, he had more than 25 years of management experience in public broadcasting and high-tech companies, including nine years as chief operating officer of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS).

In addition to Bertman, members of the board include Kessler; Davies; Henry Berman, CEO of the Association of Small Foundations; and Ronna Brown, president of Philanthropy New York.  Regine Webster, CDP's founding executive director, will transition to the role of vice president.

The Center for Disaster Philanthropy is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, DC.  For more information, please visit www.disasterphilanthropy.org.

Contact:
Fiona Soltes
[email protected]
615/788-5378 | @funds4disaster  

SOURCE Center for Disaster Philanthropy