WASHINGTON, March 17, 2016 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ — The Center for Disaster Philanthropy (CDP) announced today that the Irene W. Pennington Foundation of Baton Rouge has awarded $100,000 to the Gulf Coast Resilience Innovation (GCRI) Fund in response to record flooding in Louisiana. The gift kicks off a national campaign to fund recovery efforts for northwest, northeast, and southeast Louisiana. CDP will serve as a long-term anchor to the local relief funds already created by the experienced community foundations in this region, and will partner in these efforts with the Community Foundation of North Louisiana, the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, and the Northshore Community Foundation.

CDP was originally created out of donor experiences during Hurricane Katrina, and was co-founded by Louisiana donors in order to encourage donors to collaborate on effective, long-term giving throughout the life cycle of disasters.

“The slow-motion disaster taking place now in Louisiana demands that we lead with a gift that inspires others to join us in supporting a full recovery,” said Lori J. “The devastating flooding in Louisiana requires that the philanthropic community follow their lead and embrace long- and mid-term recovery efforts built on partnerships that maximize the impact of their dollars.”

A large part of our giving is focused in the Greater Baton Rouge area and surrounding parishes, including East and West Feliciana and Pointe Coupee.