After Hurricane Maria, Strengthening Puerto Rico Through Philanthropy
Following the devastating impact of Hurricane Maria upon Puerto Rico in September 2017, the life of the island was forever altered. The cycle of crisis and recovery still persist for many, and philanthropy is a growing part of this ongoing conversation, rethinking Puerto Rico's daily dynamics.
Collective action toward realizing social justice is a constant venture, one that artists, cultural producers, and arts funders alike may find ways to connect and leverage fundamental resources. Nonprofit Quarterly interviewed two local foundation executives about philanthropic investments on the island, post-Hurricane and their particular methods to strengthen the nonprofit sector.
The two approaches, explored in some detail, both center community networks: on the one hand, the Puerto Rico Community Foundation (Fundación Comunitaria de Puerto Rico) which has developed a rapid implementation approach to fund trusted community groups and, on the other, the Network of Foundations of Puerto Rico (la Red de Fundaciones de Puerto Rico), the island’s foundation network that serves as a liaison to increase the flow of funds to key Puerto Rican nonprofits from US mainland-based foundations.
“Due to [Hurricane] Maria, systems in Puerto Rico collapsed. People are managing the crisis in that smaller unit that we call a community. That is the surviving unit,” stated Nelson I. Colón, president and CEO of the Puerto Rico Community Foundation.
For information on GIA's disaster response relief program, click here.
Image: Lena Eriksson, Pixabay