Community is the entire reason nonprofits exist, so when a community has been affected by hurricanes, wildfires, earthquakes, or other natural disasters, that’s when nonprofits spring into action and do what they do best — serve.
In the wake of the recent devastation caused by hurricanes in the southeastern U.S. in 2024, and the wildfires in Southern California in early 2025 — nonprofits of all sizes and missions were front and center.
See where NIA members helped: Map & details.
These nonprofits helped in every way imaginable: Coordinating volunteers, partnering with emergency crews, removing debris, providing shelter, raising funds, distributing food and other essential supplies, and so much more.
Here are just a few of the stories that NIA-insured members have shared.
2024: Hurricane Helene
FOODiversity (Iredell County, North Carolina)
Their mission is to provide a consistent and reliable source of safe foods for those with food allergies, celiac disease, and food intolerances.
During Hurricane Helene, FOODiversity connected emergency food banks and food pantries with sources of allergen-friendly and gluten-free products, many of which were donated.
Their team also delivered food to those who needed it — whether they were in their homes or located in temporary housing or shelters.
The No More Foundation, Inc. (Pasco County, Florida)
This nonprofit’s mission is to provide training, outreach, and storytelling events — all with the goal of inspiring people to action to serve the poor, orphans, and victims of human trafficking.
During Hurricane Helene, The No More Foundation coordinated “boots on the ground” efforts that included refilling a food pantry, debris clean-up, and providing basic necessities and supplies for families impacted by the storms, and the flooding that followed.
The organization postponed its annual Illuminate Gala, and instead and encouraged those who would have attended to join in the recovery efforts. Their team connected and coordinated with individuals, churches, and other groups to help with multiple projects across the Greater Tampa Bay area.
For families who were in the path of destruction outside of Florida (and beyond their local reach), The No More Foundation sent gift cards to help them get needed food, necessities, and supplies.
Special Operations Radio Team (Bibb County, Georgia)
This organization’s mission is to provide local first responders with communications support, help organize searches for lost people, and provide education about unmanned aircraft systems (drones).
When Hurricane Helene struck rural Telfair County, they supplied two-way radios to first responders, residents, and mutual aid partners, helping them re-establish communications in order to assist the community with debris cleanup and disaster response.
Unbroken Spirit (Buncombe County, North Carolina)
A veteran-focused nonprofit, with a mission to help veterans transition from military to civilian life and provide them with tools for supporting their wellness and mental health.
After Hurricane Helene, a team of 15 veterans quickly altered their plans for a fall backpacking expedition, and instead made a beeline for the Asheville area, where they provided critical hurricane relief in Western North Carolina, and assisted with relief efforts.
The team distributed essential supplies and relief items, loaded and unloaded supply vehicles, assisted with cleanup efforts, and cleared several homes of fallen trees.
On the final day of the relief mission, in addition to helping clear her yard of debris, Unbroken Spirit provided a single mother of four in Black Mountain with a $5,000 donation.
2024: Hurricane Milton
IDignity (Orange County, Florida)
IDignity is a nonprofit organization that helps U.S. citizens and legal residents — many of whom are experiencing homelessness or have no safe place to store their documents — obtain Florida ID cards and licenses, as well as the documents they need to obtain a valid ID or license.
After Hurricane Milton struck, IDignity helped people replace their IDs or documents that had been destroyed or lost during the storm and subsequent flooding — all at no cost to them.
The Mavuno Project (Miami-Dade County, Florida)
This nonprofit’s mission is to utilize the power of education and a message of hope to work to prevent human trafficking.
In the wake of Hurricane Milton, The Mavuno Project traveled to Tampa and, in partnership with a local organization on the ground, helped provide 100 hot meals to people displaced by the storm. That event went so well that they stuck around and went on to distribute an additional 191 hot meals in the Tampa area.
NIA member The Mavuno Project of Miami-Dade County, Florida, providing aid during Hurricane MIlton.
Ziggy’s Haven Bird Sanctuary Inc. (Citrus County, Florida)
This nonprofit operates a no-breed/no-kill facility for birds, as well as advocacy initiatives, and community outreach.
After Hurricane Milton, Ziggy’s Haven Bird Sanctuary provided free or reduced-cost boarding for birds belonging to families and individuals whose homes were lost, damaged, or inaccessible due to the storm.
Florida Urgent Rescue (Duval County, Florida)
A nonprofit whose mission saves at-risk animals from kill shelters and other urgent situations, with a focus on helping animals in rural shelters with limited resources.
Florida Urgent Rescue teams evacuated animals in rural shelters during both hurricanes Helene and Milton, helping to bring more than 325 dogs and cats to safety during the back-to-back storms.
During the wildfires in Southern California, teams were on the ground in Los Angeles, assisting with disaster relief, helping to reunite people with their lost pets, and transporting animals that had been impacted by the fires.
2025: Southern California Wildfires
Stamp Out Scams, Inc. (Riverside County, California)
Stamp Out Scams is a nonprofit with a mission to provide information and resources for people to protect themselves from scams and financial exploitation.
Following the Southern California wildfires, Stamp Out Scams created an educational guide for wildfire victims to help protect them from scams targeting disaster relief funds.
The guide provided practical tips on avoiding fraudulent contractors, charity scams, and other common schemes, ensuring victims could focus on recovery without falling prey to fraud.
Sandwiches From The Heart (Orange County, California)
Sandwiches From The Heart is a nonprofit that prepares and delivers fresh sandwiches to shelters, food banks, and other community organizations that feed people in the local community.
During the Southern California wildfires, Sandwiches From The Heart teams delivered nonperishable food items to food distribution centers set up to serve those affected by the fires in Los Angeles County.
They also created a wish list for people, constituents, and other partner organizations throughout the country to send donated items that would be delivered to those in need.
Little Bitty Animal Sanctuary, Inc. (San Diego County, California)
A nonprofit animal sanctuary that provides food, permanent shelter, and veterinary care to farmed animals and domestic pets in need. They also provide animal care education.
During the Southern California wildfires, they worked with the Pasadena Humane Society to take in animals from Pasadena facilities in order to free up space for animals displaced by the fires.
Their teams collected and delivered donations of pet food and other needed supplies and delivered them to the Best Friends Animal Society in Los Angeles.
On Sacred Ground Land Trust (San Juan County, Washington)
A nonprofit land trust that provides environmental education and partnerships for sustainability, as well as permaculture design, education, and installation.
After the Southern California wildfires, On Sacred Ground Land Trust offered workshops to help people affected by the fires approach rebuilding differently, using permaculture landscaping to mitigate wildfire and climate change issues.
The workshops aim to show how, by adopting permaculture landscaping and “waterscaping” techniques, landowners can “hydrate the landscape” as a way to mitigate wildfire and climate change issues and avoid recreating the same problems that led to catastrophic wildfires in the first place.
Disasters bring together communities like nothing else can.
The worst of times always bring out the best in a community.
When an area is devastated by a natural disaster, that’s when people of all backgrounds unite, put their differences aside, and work together for the benefit of their community — just like nonprofits do every single day.
Nonprofits Insurance Alliance (NIA) is proud to insure the missions, the operations, and the people of the nonprofit organizations that provide so much care, comfort, and service to their communities.
Learn more about the impactful work of NIA members during recent disasters. View our interactive map & table for a comprehensive overview.
