About Us
Who We Are
The Institute for Sustainable Development (ISD) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit focused on addressing pre-disaster community threats and vulnerabilities and post-disaster recovery.
Ever since we were founded in the North Carolina Research Triangle in 2003, we have brought together project teams made up of business practitioners and academia to solve difficult challenges. This is a core part of our DNA.
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We are known for our work on economic resilience and public-private partnerships, and for our knowledge of loan, grant, and other resources for community capacity building.
What We Do
Conduct threats, vulnerabilities, and needs assessments both pre- and post-disaster
Enhance the gathering and sharing of information and knowledge
Support disaster responses as they arise
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Build community capacity
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Develop long-term strategies and plans
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Catalyze new solutions and partnerships
We Believe In...
Nurturing the human ecosystem
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Addressing vulnerabilities before they become disasters
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Continuously improving on past results
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Preparation, mitigation, and adaptation
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Power of partnership
Mission
We catalyze resilience so that communities can thrive long-term.
Values
Areas of Focus
Services
Partners
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Vulnerable Communities
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Threat Mitigation
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Economic Empowerment
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Needs Assessments
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Strategy and Planning
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Technical Assistance
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Research
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Outreach
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Advocacy
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Partnerships
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Local, State, and Federal Government
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Corporate Citizens
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Chambers of Commerce and EDOs
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Foundations and Community Service Organizations
How does ISD advance resilience?
For Small Businesses:
Research, capacity-building, stakeholder engagement, community outreach, technical assistance, and public-private partnerships
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As a founding partner for Together for Los Angeles, we've reached more than 21,000 small businesses with tools for economic recovery and resilience.
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For Cities:
Public-private partnerships for community and economic development like Together for Los Angeles
For States:
Research and strategy for resilient infrastructure financing, state resilience offices, and public-private coordinating mechanisms for state emergency management and economic development agencies
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Our Resilience Help Desk offers no-cost consulting, resources, and multilingual easy-to-use checklists for disaster preparedness and recovery.
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Created state-by-state and industry directory of disaster recovery resources
For Countries:
Strategies for the preparation, mitigation, and adaptation of public policies through our research and advocacy agenda