Minnesota Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (MNVOAD)

Minnesota Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (MNVOAD) is the state affiliate of National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster. MNVOAD works to foster more effective service to people who have been or may be in the future, affected by disaster through communication, coordination, cooperation, collaboration, convening mechanisms, and outreach.

During times of disaster, MNVOAD member organizations independently provide a variety of relief and recovery services to victims. During disasters, MNVOAD facilitates routine conference calls, which assist in interagency communication and efficient resource allocation. Additionally, it helps to identify unmet needs and locate available unutilized resources. These services help to ensure best practices, thereby saving organizations money by reducing duplicative services, lost time, and productivity, and can also reduce response time to meet victims’ basic needs.

On an ongoing basis, MNVOAD holds meetings that provide a forum for participants to share their expertise, express any concerns they may have, receive information on current items of interest, and provide suggestions for any improvements. MNVOAD also works to build relationships with emergency managers and raise preparedness awareness among the public.