ORLANDO, Fla. — Following the aftermath of the Pulse Nightclub shooting, Jeff Dion says he helped oversee and distribute every penny of $33.6 million in donations to survivors and families.

Now, Dion is the executive director for the Mass Violence Survivors Fund, and he said the group's next mission is to become a part of cities' emergency management plans in the event of a crisis.

What You Need To Know

  • On June 12, 2016, 49 people were killed in a mass shooting at Pulse Nightclub in Orlando

  • Jeff Dion, who is now leading the Mass Violence Survivors Fund, says he's overseen donations after tragedies like those at Pulse, and in Uvalde, Texas, or the Aurora, Colo., theater shooting

  • The Mass Violence Survivors Fund is now looking to become commonplace in emergency management plans, so they can jump into action and distribute donations as quickly and effectively as possible

In the aftermath of a mass shooting, worldwide support flows in and balances on GoFundMe's grow. However, Dion said the people running those donation efforts might realize they are in over their heads.

"A lot of really well-intentioned, good-hearted people ... just start collecting money without any idea whatsoever about, 'How are we going to distribute this? How do we even find out who the victims are? How do we get contact information?'" said Dion.

That's where the Mass Violence Survivors Fund comes in. Dion said he's helped oversee the administrative side of donations after tragedies like those at Pulse, in Ulvade, Texas and Aurora, Colo.

Tiara Parker, a Pulse survivor, said she was able to receive a distribution back in 2016 thanks to those efforts.

"I know the amount of money will never fix what happened to you, but it will definitely help you get yourself on your feet and try and focus on what are your next steps," said Parker. "(The Mass Violence Survivors Fund) want survivors to know that there are real people out here trying to help them with everything that we need."

During their process, the Mass Violence Survivors Fund takes over identifying survivors and vetting them, a process that can be daunting for some.

Dion said there are also nuances to every donation distribution. For example, in the Uvalde mass shooting, many survivors were children.

"There are laws that dictate, and every state has a Uniform Transfer to Minors Act, that says how you give kids money," said Dion. "It needs to be in a custodial account or trust to make sure it's clear this money is for the child and child's benefit."

Dion said precious time can be wasted as people who are inexperienced work to figure out these caveats, laws, and administrative hurdles.

It's why he said the Mass Violence Survivors Fund is working to become commonplace in various cities' emergency management plans. Dion said his group is already working in Collier County to get on the emergency management plan.

He said the hope is after a tragedy strikes, officials will be able to call Dion's team they can jump into action. 

"Even more important than whatever the money is, is the knowledge that there were people around the country and around the world who cared enough about you that they reached into their pocket because they wanted to help," said Dion.

The Mass Violence Survivors Fund is survivor-led, and Dion said they ensure every penny from donations goes straight to survivors and families of victims.