Regions throughout the continental United States have been hit by a devastating series of storms, tornadoes, floods and wildfires. Especially hard hit have been states in the South, but massive flooding in the Mississippi River Basin and wildfires in other parts of the country are taking a similar toll. The death and destruction that has occurred is beyond belief. The Cooperative Development Foundation (CDF) applauds the extraordinary work being done by disaster relief agencies and we encourage your support for those relief efforts that are providing invaluable support for storm, flood and wildfire victims.

But what about the long term recovery of the people and cooperatives in the affected areas? What happens when the cameras are turned off and we, as a nation, move on to yet another major story? The recovery will take years and cooperatives can — and will — play a significant role in the economic recovery from these disasters. When the relief efforts have met basic needs, we must be ready to help people rebuild their lives and their cooperatives.

Cooperatives have been an important building block in bringing economic development to many parts of this multi-state area. Cooperatives have raised incomes and provided affordable services — providing agricultural production infrastructure, housing, access to credit and rural utility services, and access to markets for crops. In many areas, much of this infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, leaving cooperatives and their members with few tools to rebuild and help themselves recover from these disasters. With your help, we can help to rebuild cooperative businesses and we’re also committed to getting new cooperative development as part of the long term recovery – helping more people experience the benefits that cooperatives can bring to their lives.

Through your generous donations, CDF was able to help in cooperative recovery from the devastation of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Internationally, you supported CDF’s work to raise funds for cooperative recovery from the South Asian tsunami in 2004, the earthquake that struck Haiti several years ago, and CDF’s ongoing fundraising in the wake of the recent Japanese tsunami. As always, the U.S. cooperative community has been extraordinarily generous.

Co-ops Helping Co-ops
We ask you to make a contribution to the Fund.

Now, we hope to raise funds for cooperative recovery in response to this latest siege of violent weather and natural disasters in the continental United States. CDF will partner on this fund drive with its colleagues in the cooperative community, both nationally and in the regions affected to assure the maximum possible impact. CDF will take no administrative fee for funds raised to assure that 100% of the funds donated reach the people and organizations that need help. A prime point of contact for CDF in the South will be the Federation of Southern Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund which will help to identify the needs of farmers and farm cooperatives and help CDF coordinate this effort with the wider cooperative community in that area. In the Mississippi River Basin and other parts of the country, CDF will rely on similar players in the cooperative community who “know the territory” and can help CDF identify members of the cooperative community with the greatest needs.

Your donation will support cooperative recovery from the devastating storms and natural disasters that have hit so many parts of the U.S. in this Spring of 2011.

All donations are 100% tax deductible and 100% of your donation will go toward the recovery process.

To make a donation by check, checks should be made out to: CDF-Spring Storms of 2011 Fund and mailed to:

Cooperative Development Foundation
2011 Crystal Drive, Suite 800
Arlington, VA 22202.