Press Releases

WASHINGTON ­­­­- The following is the statement of National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy (NCRP) President Rick Cohen commemorating the first anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks:

One year ago, the world was shaken by acts of terror that we will never forget and from which our hearts may never fully recover.  Our thoughts and prayers at the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy remain with all who were most immediately touched by the loss of that day - those whose loved ones were killed or injured, including the families and friends of those who gave their lives so that others might survive.  Beyond the physical and emotional scars of that day, there remains the economic impact, including that felt by tens of thousands of displaced low-income workers and their families.  There also remain questions of equity in the relief efforts, and challenges to civil liberties that always come when our nation must struggle to balance our love of liberty with our need for security.

The emotions of this anniversary make it a very difficult time for analytical reflection, when such thought seems almost an inappropriate violation of the solemnity of our remembrance.  Still, if we respond only with our hearts and not with our heads, we will not be as prepared as we must be if and when disaster strikes again.

Over the course of the last year, NCRP has sought to offer balanced analysis of the philanthropic and charitable response to the tragedy, and we shall continue to do so.  The next issue of our quarterly, Responsive Philanthropy, will feature a lead story by David Jones and David Campbell of the Community Service Society of New York, assessing the philanthropic response from the perspective of a charity at Ground Zero.  The piece will be NCRP's latest evaluation of what went well in the philanthropic response, what challenges were faced and what lessons were learned for the future.