The seven founding members of CAN are:

• The Alliance of Information and Referral Systems (AIRS)
• The American Red Cross
• National Voluntary Agencies Active in Disaster (NVOAD)
• 9/11 United States Group
• Safe Horizon
• The Salvation Army
• United Way of America

In the wake of disasters, the CAN partnership works with national, regional and local relief organizations to develop innovative solutions that make tangible improvements in how relief and recovery services are delivered to individuals and communities as a whole.

CAN provides assistance to nonprofits in developing, enhancing, and maintaining technological competency in the administration and delivery of services in order to maximize effectiveness and leverage resources.

CAN harnesses the power of the Internet through a centralized database, resulting in shared, secure, up-to-date information about disaster victims and their needs and the timely delivery of services without duplication of efforts.

Through Information and Referral systems such as 2-1-1, CAN enables organizations to more effectively match the needs of disaster victims with available resources.

Through CAN, caseworkers have access to complete client information enabling collaboration and ease of referral.

To ensure peace of mind, CAN is designed to protect individual privacy and confidentiality.

Through the CAN pilot communities program, cities will serve as learning laboratories to help create a new model of disaster readiness and response. The chosen communities are:

• The District of Columbia
• New Orleans
• New York
• Oklahoma City
• San Francisco
• Seattle

CAN is estimated to cost an estimated $7.2 million in the first three years of operation. The Lilly Endowment Inc. has provided initial funding. Additional funding has been provided by the Ford Foundation, the John Morgridge Family Trust, and the American Red Cross Hurricane Recovery Program.