HISPANIC FEDERATION TO DISTRIBUTE $1 MILLION TO LOCAL NONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONS IN PUERTO RICO POWERING LONG-TERM RECOVERY EFFORTS
For Immediate Release: July 7, 2023
Contact: media@hispanicfederation.org
PUERTO RICO—Hispanic Federation (HF) today announced a $1 million fund that will distribute grants to local nonprofits in Puerto Rico that are advancing equitable and sustainable recovery efforts across the archipelago. Beginning today, nonprofits across Puerto Rico can apply for grants of up to $50,000 per year to continue building stronger and more resilient communities to mitigate against the impacts of climate change. This latest grant opportunity is a continuation of Hispanic Federation’s Amanece: Road to Recovery fund, which the organization launched in 2017 together with award-winning songwriter, actor, director, and producer Lin-Manuel Miranda and the Miranda Family shortly after Hurricanes Maria and Irma decimated the archipelago. This latest grant is being announced ahead of the most active months of hurricane season: August and September.
Since its launch, the Amanece fund has provided 57 grants totaling $5.4 million to 40 local community-based, non-profit organizations. Amanece grants empowered these organizations with the resources needed to execute long-term recovery initiatives focused on housing, agriculture, economic development, environment, renewable energy, and emergency preparedness, among others. The latest iteration of Amanece will provide $1 million for up to 20 additional grants that will power sustainable long-term disaster recovery and preparedness initiatives. These initiatives will address climate change, community resiliency, and economic development while also promoting equity, community self-sufficiency and collaboration.
Nonprofit organizations interested in applying must submit an online interest form by July 26, 2023. The form and other eligibility requirements can be found here.
“Creating a stronger and more resilient Puerto Rico is a collective effort that is centered around the archipelago's communities. That’s why our Amanece fund supports and convenes local organizations that are on the ground leading transformative work that mitigates the effects of climate change and helps the archipelago withstand future climate events,” said Frankie Miranda, President and CEO of Hispanic Federation. “We encourage local community organizations to learn more about our Amanece fund so that we can build a stronger Puerto Rico together.”
"In Puerto Rico, we find ourselves on the frontlines of the climate crisis, facing the increasing threat of unprecedented weather events. To prevent these events from escalating into disasters, our most vulnerable communities must be prepared for the future and for that they need resources. Since 2017, Hispanic Federation, in collaboration with our local nonprofit partners, has made significant strides toward achieving this goal, and our Amanece fund has played a crucial role in this," said Charlotte Gossett Navarro, the Puerto Rico Chief Director of Hispanic Federation. "The philanthropic funds raised by Hispanic Federation and distributed through the Amanece fund go directly to community-based, non-profit organizations leading long-term recovery efforts hand in hand with the communities they serve and represent. Through this fund, we have witnessed their innovative ideas transform into tangible community impact that improves and even saves lives. We take immense pride in partnering with them. I strongly encourage eligible organizations to submit their ideas for consideration in this round of funding."
Hispanic Federation's long-term commitment to Puerto Rico began more than five years ago, when Hurricane Maria made landfall. HF was a first responder to the crisis and has been a major funder and driver of Puerto Rico’s recovery efforts, investing more than $51 million in philanthropic investments to advance Puerto Rico’s just and sustainable recovery from natural disasters and the COVID-19 Pandemic. Specifically, HF launched a multiyear initiative to revitalize Puerto Rico’s coffee sector, funded and collaborated with more than 140 organizations and initiatives across Puerto Rico, contributed to more than 250 rooftop solar energy projects, and bolstered more than 2,500 small businesses, micro-entrepreneurs, and farmers. In September of last year, Hispanic Federation released a comprehensive report - Building a Stronger and More Resilient Puerto Rico - detailing the success and impact of these recovery efforts and the road ahead to build Puerto Rico’s resilience.
In 2023, Hispanic Federation is continuing its commitment to Puerto Rico with an additional pledge of approximately $3 million in philanthropic funding and nearly $5 million in federal funding through a new partnership with the USDA. These funds will support grant making for community-based organizations, the expansion of renewable energy, sustainable agriculture, and other long-term recovery initiatives in Puerto Rico. The funds will also aid in promoting equitable community development and support the island’s own long-term vision for recovery, resilience, and change.
About Hispanic Federation:
Hispanic Federation (HF) is a nonprofit membership and advocacy organization, founded in 1990, committed to empowering and advancing the Hispanic community, with a focus on low-income, marginalized and immigrant Latinos. With programs in 40 states, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands and the District of Columbia, HF’s focus areas include immigration, economic empowerment, civic engagement, disaster relief, philanthropy, education, health, and the environment. HF also maintains ongoing public education campaigns and meets the organizational development needs of its member agencies through grant-making and capacity-building assistance.
