Introduction

THESE HAVE BEEN DIFFICULT TIMES. We are at war, and we have suffered a staggering blow dealt by natural forces beyond our control. A popular American city has been devastated, as is our image of ourselves as a nation that can take care of its own people. There will be many lessons to learn from the current catastrophes, not the least of which is that few of us are as prepared as we need to be to face our future. For American philanthropy, a primary lesson is that we must invest wisely in building the capacity of our communities to stay resilient and thrive.