Emergency Management
Volunteer Florida is the state’s lead agency for volunteers and donations before, during, and after disasters. In partnership with the Florida Division of Emergency Management, Volunteer Florida:
- Coordinates with Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) and local and state government emergency management agencies to meet volunteer and donation needs
- Provides staffing during activation of the State Emergency Operations Center
- Provides training and presentations on the roles of government and nongovernmental organizations in disaster preparedness, response, recovery, and mitigation
- Provides fiscal and program management for federal, state, and privately funded programs
- Provide training for government, non-government, and private sector organizations on disaster volunteer and donations management
- Mobilize and deploy resources to assist communities responding to and recovering from disaster
- Operate the ESF (Emergency Service Function) 15 and deploy trained Volunteer Florida staff to assist the Florida Division of Emergency Management if necessary
- Operate the Volunteer and Donations Hotline and the Florida Donations Portal
Volunteer Florida is proud to partner with the following organizations before, during, and after emergencies. Contact one of these organizations to make a cash donation or to find disaster volunteer opportunities.
- Amateur Radio League
- American Red Cross
- Billy Graham Rapid Response Team
- Catholic Charities
- Christian Disaster Response
- Church World Service
- Convoy of Hope
- Cooperative Baptist Fellowship
- Corporation for National & Community Service (CNCS)
- Crossroads Alliance
- Disciples of Christ
- Episcopal Relief and Development
- Farm Share
- Feed the Children
- Florida Association of Food Banks
- Florida Association for Volunteer Resource Management (FAVRM)
- Florida Baptist Disaster Relief
- Florida Catholic Conference
- Florida Conference of Seventh-Day Adventists
- Florida Department of Elder Affairs
- Florida Immediate Response Stress Team (FIRST)
- Florida United Methodist Conference Disaster Recovery
- Florida Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (FLVOAD)
- Goodwill
- Habitat for Humanity
- Islamic Center of North America
- Islamic Relief USA
- Latter Day Saints
- Lake and Sumter Emergency Recovery
- Lutheran Disaster Response
- Mennonite Disaster Service
- National Organization for Victim Assistance
- Nazarene Disaster Response
- NAACP
- NECHAMA
- Night Runners Mobile Crisis Services, Inc.
- Operation Blessing
- Operation Hope
- Points of Light
- Presbyterian Church in America
- Presbyterian Disaster Assistance
- Rebuilding Together
- Samaritan’s Purse
- Save the Children
- Scientology Disaster Response
- Sheep Dog
- Society of St. Vincent De Paul
- Southern Baptist Convention — Disaster Relief
- State Emergency Responders and Volunteers of Florida
- Team Rubicon
- The Eagles Wings Foundation
- The Humane Society of the United States
- The Salvation Army
- The United Way of Florida
- Tool Bank Disaster Services
- Tzu Chi
- United Church of Christ Disaster Response Ministries
- World Renew
The Florida Disaster Fund is the State of Florida’s official private fund established to assist Florida’s communities as they respond to and recover during times of emergency or disaster. In partnership with the public sector, private sector and other non-governmental organizations, the Florida Disaster Fund supports response and recovery activities.
100% of funds raised will go toward disaster-related response and recovery; there are no overhead costs. Donations to the Florida Disaster Fund are made to the Volunteer Florida Foundation, 501(c)(3) charitable organization and are tax deductible.
The Florida Disaster Fund distributes funds to service organizations that will serve individuals within their communities with disaster response and recovery. Individuals seeking financial assistance should register with FEMA at 800-621-FEMA or www.disasterassistance.gov.
Donate by Credit Card:
Text to Give:
To make a onetime donation of $10, text the word DISASTER to 20222.
A one-time donation of $10.00 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Donor must be age 18+ and all donations must be authorized by the account holder (e.g. parents). By texting YES, the user agrees to the terms and conditions. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Donations are collected for the benefit of the “Florida Disaster Fund” by the Mobile Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at www.hmgf.org/t. Message & Data Rates May Apply. You can unsubscribe at any time by texting STOP to short code “20222”; text HELP to “20222” for help. Privacy Policy
For additional questions about the Florida Disaster Fund, please contact info@volunteerflorida.org or call (850) 414-7400.
Donate by Check:
Please make check out to the Volunteer Florida Foundation and mail to:
Volunteer Florida Foundation
Attn: Florida Disaster Fund
3800 Esplanade Way - Suite 180
Tallahassee, FL 32311
Please include “Florida Disaster Fund” in the memo line.
Florida Disaster Fund Sponsors: We are extremely grateful to our generous sponsors who provide critical funding for the Florida Disaster Fund. To see a listing of sponsors, click here.
If you have additional questions about the Florida Disaster Fund, please contact info@volunteerflorida.org or call (850)-414-7400.
Volunteer Florida is proud to administer Florida’s Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program in partnership with FEMA and the Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM). CERT is a training program that prepares Floridians to help their families and neighbors in the event of a disaster in their community. Through CERT, citizens can learn about disaster preparedness and receive training in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, and disaster medical operations. With this training, Florida volunteers can provide critical support in their local communities by giving immediate assistance to victims before emergency first responders arrive on scene. CERT volunteers also support the community year-round by participating in community preparedness outreach activities and distributing materials on disaster preparedness and education.
Available Grants Current Grantees Florida Division of Emergency Management FDEM Training Calendar FEMA
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The following publications are offered to promote and facilitate the effective coordination of voluntary resources both before and after disasters. These materials, which may be downloaded and adapted to your needs, are the original work of Volunteer Florida.
Resources:
- Continuity of Operations for Community Based Organizations - PDF Format
- Continuity of Operations for Community Based Organizations - Word Format
- Disaster Guide for Floridians with Disabilities
- Establishing an Unmet Needs Coalition
- Disaster Mitigation Guide
- G 288 - Local Volunteer and
Donations Management - Student Manual - G 489 - Management of Spontaneous
Volunteers in Disasters - Student Manual - Unaffiliated Volunteers in Response and Recovery
- Unaffiliated Volunteer Management - 2004 Hurricane Case-Study
- Volunteers and Donations in Disaster Brochure
Note - As you find these materials helpful and adapt them for your use, please give appropriate and prominent credit to Volunteer Florida.
