National VOAD is a nonprofit membership organization founded in 1970 in responses to Hurricane Camille in the Gulf Coast. Members of National VOAD include national nonprofit organizations whose missions include programs either in diaster preparedness, response and/or recovery. Since its founding, state and local equivalents of VOAD have emerged to foster cooperation, communication, coordination and collaboration at the state and local level - the heart of the disaster response.
Our Mission
National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster is the forum where organizations share knowledge and resources throughout the disaster cycle - preparation, response and recovery - to help disaster survivors and their communities. Members of National VOAD form a coalition of nonprofit organizations that respond to disasters as part of their overall mission.
Our History
National VOAD was founded in 1970 in response to the challenges in many disaster organizations experienced following Hurrican Camille, which hit the Gul Coast in August, 1969.
Prior to the found of National VOAD, numberous organizations served disaster victims independently of one another. These included both government and the private, nonprofit sector. As a result, help came to the disaster victim haphazardly as variuos organizations assisted in specific ways. Unnecessary duplication of effort often occurred, while at the same time, other needs were not met. People who wanted to volunteer to help their neighbors affected by disaster were often frustrated by the variety of organizations in some areas of service and the total lack of opportunities to serve other needs. Further, there was only limited availability of training for potential volunteers. Information for victims on services during disasters was woefully inadequate. Likewise, communication among voluntary disaster agencies was very limited and coordination of services was negligible. In fact, mechanims for this were non-existent.
The seven founding organizations came together and committed to fostering the four C's - communication, coordination, collaboration, and cooperation in order to better serve people impacted by disasters. Today, National VOAD is a leader and voice for the nonprofit organizations and volunteers that work in all phases of disaster - preparedness, response, relief, recovery and mitigation. National VOAD is the primary point of contact for voluntary organization in the National Response Coordination Center (at FEMA headquarters) and is a signatory to the National Response Plan.
