Puerto Rico emergency relief / long-term recovery

Executive Summary

The FORWARD Puerto Rico Fund (Fondo ADELANTE Puerto Rico) was created by the Puerto Rico Funders Network (Red de Fundaciones de Puerto Rico) to strengthen the capacity nonprofit groups to advance social justice and provide innovative solutions to the island’s vexing problems. The Fund was created by the Red de Fundaciones de Puerto Rico in early 2017 as a vehicle to promote partnerships between local, national and international philanthropic organizations. Investments in the FORWARD Fund grew quickly after Hurricane María devastated the island in September 2017. La Red applied these funds toward emergency grants for local grassroots organizations with proven records that were providing direct assistance to affected communities. The Fund raised $6.4 M in one year from over 20 local, national and international foundations and over 700 individuals. Twenty-four organizations received a total of nearly $1 M in emergency grants. This report examines the results of the work supported. 

RESULTS

The groups reported that they collectively: 

• Served more than 100,000 people affected by this emergency, 40,000 families and 1,148 people with disabilities.
• Delivered more than 5 million pounds of food. 
• Installed 3,500 rodenticide stations.
• Planted 8,800 new trees.
• Created 15 new artistic projects for respite, relief and management of emotions related to the emergency.
• Established 100 alliances with local and US entities. 
• Organized 200 humanitarian brigades.
• Reinforced the connections to their communities.
• Strengthen their ability to deal with future crisis situations. 

LESSONS LEARNED

1. Puerto Ricans possess a solid reservoir of solidarity and civic engagement.
2. Reserve funds are vital in quickly addressing emergency situations.
3. The extent of poverty and resource inequality among Puerto Ricans is now more visible. Puerto Rico’s resources are not distributed equitably. 
4. Organizations need greater autonomy with respect to energy, water and food.  
5. Collaboration and teamwork are essential to recovery post disasters.
6. Listening to the community helps guide effective action. 

RECOMMENDATIONS

1. Disburse grants to community groups quickly following an emergency. Generate agile fund approval protocols for organizations with proven trajectories, without compromising the corresponding scrutiny. 
2. Organizations need emergency plans for security management, communications and transportation. 
3. Develop training for NGO leaders and boards in managing an emergency.
4. Tap into the great expertise available into the nonprofit sector by using peers as mentors and trainers.
5. Develop programs to provide emotional support and respite for leaders of the sector and their work teams.
6. Create reserve funds for community-based organizations to enable immediate response.

CONCLUSIONS

1. Providing general operating grants following an emergency was a wise strategy.
2. Grantees deployed their grants wisely to help their communities.
3. The grant from the Puerto Rico Funders Network. 
4. Local NGOs could benefit from a “rainy day” or reserve fund to help accelerate their emergency responds.
5. Local NGOs mobilized to respond immediately to the needs of their communities, but the long, hard and difficult work created emotional stresses that need to be addressed.

The FORWARD Puerto Rico Fund supports innovative approaches to help Puerto Rico prosper.  Puerto Rico’s recovery and rebuilding is a long-term effort. Hurricanes Irma and Maria devastated an island that was already reeling from a longstanding economic crisis. Quicklyafter the hurricanes, the Fund provided emergency funds to vetted, high impact local grassroots organizations that were offering immediate assistance to those affected. Now, the Fund is pursuing essential long-term strategic priorities to help move Puerto Rico forward.  This report describes the work that is being done by one of the organizations supported through the Fund.

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