Women Donors Network Pledges $1.5 million to Hurricane Katrina Recovery Fund ofthe 21st Century Foundation

29 August 2006

Shortly after Hurricane Katrina hit, the Twenty-First Century Foundation (21CF) committed to support organizations working on both short- and long-term equity and racial justice in the relief, recovery and rebuilding process. Over the past year, the Hurricane Katrina Recovery Fund has made over 80 grants to organizations that seek justice along with recovery.

The Women Donors Network is pledging $1.5 million in this effort over the next three years. The WDN is a coalition of philanthropists of like-minded, progressive individuals. They are women of means who refuse to accept the status quo and are committed to improving policies on social justice and equality.

"Earlier this year, our members took a life-changing trip to see the devastation of New Orleans in the first person," explains Donna Hall, the executive director of the network. "We were shocked and appalled at our federal government's response and the overall slowness of the recovery efforts. We wanted to help ensure that justice and recovery go hand in hand," Hall added.

The Gulf South Allied Funders, a group of young donors from the dynamic organization Resource Generation, are partnering with WDN and the 21CF by pledging to raise an additional $1.5 million over the next three years for 21CF's Hurricane Katrina Recovery Fund. Resource Generation is a non-profit organization that works with young people with financial wealth to bring about progressive social change.

Rev. John Vaughn is leading the efforts for the recovery fund that includes grants to groups such as New Orleans ACORN, Neighborhood Housing Services of New Orleans, the 8th Episcopal District of the AME Church, Turkey Creek Community Initiative in Gulfport, the Mississippi-based STEPS Coalition, East Biloxi Disaster Relief Coordination Center, the National Coalition for Black Civic Participation and the Lawyer's Committee for Civil Rights Under the Law.

Please visit: http://www.21cf.org/HurricaneKatrina.html

Rev. Vaughn can be reached at 212-662-3700, ext 201.

Donna Hall can be reached at 650-833-6750.

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Source: usnewswire

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