“Field of Interest Funds such as crisis funds allow community foundations to be more than a philanthropic bank. These funds allow us to use our knowledge and our networks in order to move the needle in our communities. The ability to have funds that can focus on a crisis, a specific issue area, or completely unrestricted, gives us the opportunity to understand what our needs are and respond to them based on our wisdom and our research.”

--Shanaysha Sauls, Ph.D.

The Community Crisis Fund and Key Bridge Disaster: A Study in Collaboration

As the Francis Scott Key Bridge crisis unfolded in March of 2024, CFAAC immediately understood that part of our community would be affected, so when the Baltimore Community Foundation (BCF) reached out, we didn’t hesitate to help.

Shanaysha Sauls, Ph.D., BCF President and CEO, said that right after the collapse, BCF went into action, working with local officials to understand the impact. “If we go back to the days/weeks/months after the collapse, I think we were all scrambling to make sure we focused on the immediate human issues, as well as longer term recovery and resilience,” she said. “The Port of Baltimore was closed and it was understood that the port was the lifeblood for the Baltimore regional economy and even beyond the state of Maryland.”

While officials focused on clearing the channel and opening the port, they wanted to make sure that the workforce continued to be engaged so they wouldn’t leave the region to work elsewhere. Miraculously, the port opened in 11 weeks.

CFAAC and BCF participated in briefings and conversations with government and local officials to identify needs, and offer support. Because of the strong partnership among our community foundations, CFAAC not only referred its donors to BCF to support their efforts but also partnered with BCF on a community resilience strategy to provide: access to fresh food, workforce counseling, and community health. BCF then allocated a $439,072 grant to CFAAC for the purpose of supporting residents of North Anne Arundel County, namely in the Brooklyn Park area, one of the communities affected by the bridge collapse. Distributed through CFAAC’s Community Crisis Response Fund, these funds supported the three initiatives that collectively aimed to provide critical resources and support North Anne Arundel County, addressing workforce development, health access, and food insecurity in the Brooklyn Park community. The three distinct resilience efforts included a North County Farmers Market and mobile pantry, a career coach stationed at the Brooklyn Park Library, and a Telehealth program for Brooklyn Park elementary and middle schools.

“CFAAC did a great job of sharing what these communities were like and which ones are best positioned to receive support,” Shanaysha added. “That’s how we were able to create a long-term bridge to resilience. It was also wonderful having someone who understood crisis response and the nuances of crisis response.

“We are grateful that we were able to look to our neighbor. It was such a seamless relationship and I think in the community foundation world, we tend to be really good colleagues and good to each other and this collaboration was a really great example of it.” When crisis strikes, CFAAC is ready to respond. Help our community manage crisis here.