The Multi Donor Fund for Aceh and Nias(MDF) and the Java Reconstruction Fund (JRF) have playedsignificant roles in the remarkable recovery of Aceh, Niasand Java, following some of the worst disasters in Indonesiain recent years. The MDF and the JRF, which is patternedafter it, are each considered a highly successful model forpost-disaster reconstruction. This paper presentsexperiences from the implementation of the MDF, anddocuments key lessons on its strategic framework and designwhich contributed to the MDF's success in supportingthe government of Indonesia's reconstruction agenda.