The National Disaster Interfaiths Network (NDIN) was founded in 2005 by executive directors and senior program staff from local, faith-based, long-term recovery organizations. Often called “disaster interfaiths,” these organizations are located throughout the United States. They began to meet regularly to mentor and provide peer support to colleagues coordinating emerging local interfaith recovery efforts for the 2005 Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.

Since the 1990s, with the short-term resources and support of National VOAD (Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster) members and Church World Service, a number of disaster interfaiths have done exceptional work bringing together local faith communities to coordinate relief volunteers and long-term recovery leadership. Most importantly, they have worked together to offer hope in the aftermath of disaster. These disaster interfaiths achieved much despite limitations in disaster human services expertise, funding, and experience. Such challenges took their toll, however, and virtually all of the organizations were unable to sustain funding and leadership beyond the early stages of recovery.

As a result of the impact of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on metro New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia, followed by other best practices learned in subsequent Midwestern floods, California wildfires, the extreme 2003 and 2004 Florida Hurricane seasons, and the catastrophic events of Hurricane Katrina, a growing number of local and regional disaster interfaiths have begun to commit to developing sustainable local advocacy, mitigation, readiness, response, and recovery capacity.

The executive directors and senior program staff of these disaster interfaiths often receive short-term support during active recovery efforts and at national events. In the long-term, however, they report feelings of isolation and a need for peer support, guidance on identifying training, program best practices, and funding. They also have an emerging need for identifying technological tools and regular peer support for exploring administrative, fundraising, and governance challenges of leading interfaith disaster human service organizations. To best address these common interests and needs of disaster interfaiths and their leadership, the National Disaster Interfaiths Network (NDIN) was officially launched at the 2007 National VOAD Conference in Albuquerque, New Mexico and was incorporated as a non-profit 501(c)(3) in December 2007.

NDIN Member list: Click here