VOAD

VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters) means one or coalition of (usually not-for-profit) Second Responder organizations in the United States. These groups voluntarily help survivors after a disaster. VOAD members cannot activate, direct, or supervise one another without a special agreement (such as a MOU). The term "VOAD" is ambiguous, with at least five meanings: # VOAD Movement # VOAD Chapters # Informal VOAD Networks # VOAD Member Organizations # Any Voluntary Organization(s) Active in a Disaster

VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters) means one or coalition of (usually not-for-profit) Second Responder organizations in the United States. These groups voluntarily help survivors after a disaster. VOAD members cannot activate, direct, or supervise one another without a special agreement (such as a MOU). The term "VOAD" is ambiguous, with at least five meanings: VOAD Movement VOAD Chapters Informal VOAD Networks VOAD Member Organizations Any Voluntary Organization(s) Active in a Disaster ===National VOAD=== National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster is the only nationwide VOAD organization in the United States, whose members tend to be large VOAD organizations (see Meaning #4 below) and State VOAD Chapters. ===Multi-state VOADs=== Multi-state VOADs convene multiple state VOAD Chapters around common interests such as geography, population density, shared culture, or shared threat. These VOAD chapters promote the principles of the VOAD Movement (Meaning #1), improve interstate relationships, promote best practices, or pool resources. Multi-state VOADs include: Mountain West VOAD (MWVOAD): Comprises Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Alaska. New England VOAD: is an informal collaboration including Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Tri-State VOAD: Comprised Mississippi, Louisiana, and Alabama, but is no longer active. ===Regional, County, Community, and City VOADs=== Regional, county, and city VOADs are too numerous to list. Regional VOADs are VOADs that cover a large region of a state, or multiple counties. County VOADs, typically serve one county, and often have close relationships with county emergency management personnel. Community COADs tend to be coalitions of community organizations that may or may not formally identify with the VOAD movement. In contrast to County or Regional VOADs, COADs are more likely to be led by a government agency, like a county emergency management department. They may or may not adopt the Points of Consensus. Some larger municipalities have their own city VOADs, which operate similarly to a county VOAD. Locally, the makeup, names and definitions of these types of entities are fluid and sometimes interchangeable. The difference between a Regional or County VOAD and a COAD is a matter of debate; but generally a local coalition that: adopts the Points of Consensus, has a relationship with a State VOAD chapter, and whose leadership comprises voluntary organizations (rather than government employees) is considered a VOAD, rather than a COAD. To illustrate the relationship among different chapter types, New York has a State VOAD, Regional VOADs, City VOADs, and Community COADs. New York VOAD is the state chapter, while Long Island VOAD is a Regional VOAD. Broome County COAD is a Community COAD and New York City VOAD is a City VOAD. In the vast majority of cases, VOADs at different levels (even in the same state) coordinate but operate independently of one another. ==References==

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