A Philanthropic Call to Action Towards a Just and Resilient Puerto Rico
September, 20, 2020
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The Background
Three years after Hurricane Maria claimed over three thousand lives in Puerto Rico, the island and its people continue to confront significant challenges to its long-term equitable recovery. These challenges have been significantly compounded by a combination of natural and man-made disasters over the past year -from major earthquakes that rattled the island’s Southern cities to the COVID-19 pandemic- all of which have deepened the island’s nearly 14-year economic recession.
Lagging federal disaster aid, local budget cuts and other austerity measures have also exacerbated poverty and inequality on the island, fueling mass migration and displacement pressures. On top of that, Puerto Rico is an often-overlooked territory that, as other low-income communities of color in the United States, is disparately impacted by the climate crisis and other disasters.
Your Commitment & Pledge
Recognizing the urgency of this moment, we call on grant-makers and leaders in the philanthropic sector to redouble their commitment to the 3.2 million US citizens of Puerto Rico. Over the next weeks, months and years ahead, we pledge to:
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Maintain, strengthen and expand our philanthropic commitment to Puerto Rico, while leveraging the power of the 5.8 million Puerto Ricans in the diaspora.
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Prioritize investments in local community leaders, organizations and networks working to advance a more just, equitable and inclusive Puerto Rico, especially those lacking government support.
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Fund long-term projects with sustainable, generational and systemic impact such as popular education, citizen participation, advocacy and organizing.
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Provide flexible financial support and technical assistance resources to strengthen the capacity of organizations in Puerto Rico that fully engage in the island’s long term cultural, education, economic, environmental and physical revitalization.
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Increase support to organizations working with issues and in areas historically lacking investment.
Signatories
Eric Jones
Nepal
Operational Foundation
Eric Jones
Ukraine
International Foundation
Syreeta Young
Congo
Public Grantmaking Charities
Eric Jones
Thailand
Operational Foundation
Georgianna Farthing
Norway
Corporate Foundation
Marcella Bankston
Azerbaijan
Corporate Foundation
April Low
Gambia
International Foundation
Maggie Cecil
Equatorial Guinea
Private Foundation
Eric Jones
Antigua and Barbuda
Corporate Foundation
Eric Jones
Peru
Community Foundations
Ellis Scheffel
Cuba
Operational Foundation
Eric Jones
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Community Foundations
Eric Jones
Costa Rica
Private Foundation
Eric Jones
Mali
Corporate Foundation
Eric Jones
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Operational Foundation
Devin Arredondo
Bulgaria
Private Foundation
Eric Jones
Iceland
International Foundation
Eric Jones
Yemen
Public Grantmaking Charities
Francisca Slaton
Israel
Private Foundation
Eric Jones
Singapore
International Foundation
Eric Jones
Swaziland
International Foundation
Holley Haskell
Belize
International Foundation
Eric Jones
Malawi
Private Foundation
Vicente Langlais
Maldives
Community Foundations
Rayford Swinford
Austria
Community Foundations
Eric Jones
Argentina
Public Grantmaking Charities
Eric Jones
Spain
Corporate Foundation
Eric Jones
Trinidad and Tobago
International Foundation
Eric Jones
Saudi Arabia
International Foundation
Eric Jones
Paraguay
Community Foundations