Shortly after the terrorist attacks, The New York Community Trust and United Way of New York City established The September 11th Fund to meet the immediate and longer-term needs of victims, families and communities.

The Fund combined corporate, nonprofit and individual contributions made in the wake of the disaster, including proceeds from the Tribute to Heroes telethon held on September 21st. Administrative costs have been raised separately, permitting 100 percent of donations to be used to support organizations and agencies providing direct services and assistance.

In mid-January, Franklin Thomas, chairman of The Fund's supervisory board, expressed confidence that The Fund's resources, combined with those from other charities and foundations, were sufficient to accomplish relief goals and urged donors to redirect contributions to other charities.

Said Thomas, "With the federal government's Victims' Compensation Fund and charities coordinating their responses for families, The Fund can now concentrate on effectively distributing the $270 million remaining to meet longer-term needs of affected individuals, families and communities."

As of March 2002, The September 11th Fund had collected more than $450 million and issued grants of more than $205 million. Over 92 percent of expenditures have gone toward cash assistance and services for more than 39,000 victims and families in 50 states and 20 countries. The remaining 8 percent supported rescue and recovery operations and provided grants and loans to help rebuild communities.

For more information: www.september11fund.org

Lortel Foundation Assists New York City Theaters
Not-for-profit New York theaters that have been hard hit by audience fall-off and smaller contributions as a result of the September terrorist attacks will be eligible for funds from a special grant program established by the Lucille Lortel Foundation. Lortel has set aside $1 million to provide two-year grants ranging from $10,000 to $50,000 for unrestricted operating expenses.

The foundation was named for actress, theater owner and philanthropist Lucille Lortel, a long-time supporter of off-Broadway theaters who died in 1999.

For more information: www.lortel.org.

Mellon Foundation Creates Special Fund for New York Arts
The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has created a special $50 million fund which has been earmarked primarily for New York City cultural and performing organizations directly affected by last September's terrorist attacks.

Grants totaling $8 million have been made to three service organizations that fund smaller theaters and music and dance organizations. Another $6.6 million in direct support has gone to twenty-nine small and mid-sized museums and related organizations. Future awards are planned for larger cultural institutions as well as New York City public parks and libraries.

For more information: www.mellon.org

A Curriculum for Studying Terrorism
The Choices for the 21st Century Education Program at Brown University has developed a curriculum for high school students called Responding to Terrorism: Challenges for Democracy. The unit traces the history of terrorism; examines Al-Qaeda, the events of September 11th, and Middle East politics; and considers issues involved in the U.S. and world response. At the core of the unit is a framework of four distinct policy options that allows students to consider a range of alternatives.

Published in February 2002, the curriculum has already been introduced to more than 300 high school teachers and is expected to be used by more than 60,000 students nationwide before June 2003.

The Choices Program, part of the Watson Institute for International Studies at Brown, offers curricular materials based on research sponsored by the Institute.

For more information: www.choices.edu

Pew Trusts Support Afghan Efforts
The Pew Charitable Trusts have awarded $500,000 to CARE in support of humanitarian efforts to provide food, shelter and blankets to Afghan civilians displaced by recent conflict in the area. UN officials estimate that five million Afghans were in need before the U.S. military action against the Taliban. Since then nearly two million more people have been added to that number with children under the age of five accounting for about 20 percent.

For more information: www.pewtrusts.com

Harwood Institute/Gallup Survey Polls Americans on Patriotism
A January survey conducted by Gallup for the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation asked Americans whether the wave of patriotism sweeping the country following September 11th will affect the conduct of politicians and the news media in the 2002 election campaigns.

Almost all Americans who say patriotism involves more than flags and parades identify voting (97%) as an important part of patriotism. A majority (88%) of the same group also advocate challenging prevailing public opinion if democratic values are at stake.

But despite September 11th, most Americans (59%) feel personal involvement is not necessary to be patriotic and about one-half were unwilling to put themselves on the line to improve politics, findings that support the belief that many Americans do not see civic engagement as essential.

For more information: www.theharwoodinstitute.org

Packard Foundation Supports Reproductive Health Services in Afghanistan
The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has awarded $1 million to two organizations providing reproductive health services to women and children who have fled the fighting in Afghanistan.

The Family Planning Assoc-iation of Pakistan received $500,00 to support efforts and services in Afghan refugee camps in Pakistan that also include job training skills and educational programs about safe sex.

The second $500,000 award to the United Nations Foundation supports the UN Population Fund's program of humanitarian aid in Afghanistan and neighboring countries, which includes reproductive health care and training of relief workers who will provide assistance to Afghan refugees.

For more information: www.packard.org

Goldman Fund and Asia Foundation Support Relief Efforts Abroad
Following the September 11th attacks, two San Francisco organizations collaborated on two strategic grants that support relief work in Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Give2Asia, part of the Asia Foundation, and the Richard and Rhoda Goldman Fund, have provided funding to the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief in Islamabad to improve coordination of relief efforts in the region.

A second grant to PARSA, an American development organization in Afghanistan, supports nutrition, health, eduation and job training programs in refugee camps.

Both initiatives are part of a broader Asia Foundation response to the Afghanistan crisis that focuses on government reconstruction, economic growth and the establishment of a civil society.

For more information: www.asiafoundation.org.

The New York Times 9/11 Neediest Fund
The New York Times Foundation has established a special fund called The New York Times 9/11 Neediest Fund to collect and distribute contributions to help victims of the September 11th terrorist attacks.

Six months after the attacks, the 9/11 Fund had received $60 million. Two-thirds of the funds have gone to agencies that provide food, clothing, shelter and emergency cash for people left homeless by the tragedy. One-third has been spent to save low-income jobs, provide school therapy and after-school programs, train dozens of therapists in trauma treatment and provide legal assistance to September 11th victims.

Three organizations in the Washington, D.C. area have also received support. Said New York Times Company Foundation president Jack Rosenthal, "We offer these grants to extend a hand from one grievously pained community to another."

For more information:

www.nytco.com/company/foundation/neediest/index.html

Rockefeller Foundation Assists Disaster Relief Efforts
The Rockefeller Foundation has committed $5 million to support programs providing aid and assistance to families and individuals affected by the September 11th terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. Funds will target those left jobless as well as families of missing workers who lack adequate benefits and access to relief services.

Other awards will support nonprofit organizations providing protection and support to Arab, South Asian and Muslim communities in the New York area that have been the object of bigotry and violence.

For more information: www.rockfound.org

Century Foundation Announces Homeland Security Initiative
The Century Foundation has taken the lead in establishing the Initiative on Homeland Security which will develop recommendations for programs and policies on domestic security. A steering committee co-chaired by former New Jersey governor Tom Kean and former Ohio governor Richard Celeste will oversee a series of working groups made up of public officials and leaders, experts in homeland security and governance and journalists during the course of the multiyear project.

Working group participants studying the Office of Home-land Security include former White House staff members Kenneth Duberstein, John Podesta and A.B. Culvahouse, as well as Morton Abramowitz, past president of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

Other participants are John Seigenthaler, president of the First Amendment Center at Vanderbilt University, David Burke, former president of CBS News and John Stacks, former editor of Time magazine.

"We hope our working groups will be able to help government officials develop strategies for protecting the nation against future attacks while preserving the fundamental character of American life," said Richard C. Leone, president of The Century Foundation.

The Initiative on Homeland Security is also supported in part by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation.

For more information: www.tcf.org

Foundation Center Issues Report on 9/11 Philanthropy
Private giving by foundations and corporations has raised over $850 million for September 11th relief and recovery efforts, according to a new report on September 11th philanthropy issued by the Foundation Center.

The report is the first in a multiyear study of September 11th philanthropy being conducted by the Foundation Center and is based on data compiled through mid-January 2002 from direct reporting and news releases by institutions as well as information from grantmaker associations and grant recipients.

The Foundation Center's database of 9/11 contributions contains the most complete national record of institutional giving. Information on the distribution of donations is also being tracked and will be available in future reports.

For more information: www.fdncenter.org

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