In 2010, the Boston Foundation established the Haiti Fund in response to the devastating earthquake that hit the island in January of that year.  After five years, the Haiti Fund was sunset and, in its place, the Haiti Development Institute (HDI) was born. 

HDI connects donors to local leaders and credible community-based organizations in rural Haiti so philanthropic assistance can reach vulnerable communities to support locally-led development initiatives. This approach is even more important in disaster response. The international community has learned from past mistakes that it is crucial to engage local community institutions in disaster response and to put resources directly into their hands.

HDI and the Boston Foundation collaborated to channel support directly to hard-hit communities in southern Haiti after another calamitous earthquake hit in 2021. We are working in partnership to respond once again to help victims of Hurricane Melissa..

While the majority of attention to this record-breaking hurricane has been on Jamaica because it was directly hit and has suffered an immense amount of damage, Melissa’s impact on Haiti has also been severe, both because of Haiti’s baseline vulnerability and because the storm dumped so much rain on its southern peninsula.

While storm winds caused damage in the form of lost roofs and snapped trees, most destruction was caused by flooding and landslides. Roads have been washed out, water facilities broken, schools flooded. But most heartbreaking are the devastating losses to thousands of households –damaged homes and flooded farms and gardens, causing lost livestock and lost harvests, losses of months or years of hard work and economic advancement.

We are in communication with our local partners and collecting information to assess what the needs and priorities are.  Your support will help HDI bring resources to local Haitian organizations and affected communities — empowering them to help victims cope in the short term and rebuild their lives by repairing agricultural infrastructure, replanting farms and orchards, replacing animals and more. We work closely with all our grantees to ensure projects are implemented as intended. This is the most sustainable way to help and is true solidarity. These local groups work to improve their community’s wellbeing for the long haul, building resilience and supporting mental health. Where aid organizations cannot get through, they are already on the ground saving their neighbors’ lives.

Mèsi anpil for your generous support.

Please note: The minimum donation is $25. If you have questions about the Fund and its purpose, please email Elizabeth Fischelis at HDI - elizabeth.fischelis@tbf.org.

Gift Instructions

Thank you for your interest. You may make credit card donations using the form below.

To give from a Donor Advised Fund, please recommend a grant to "Boston Foundation, Inc." with the name of the fund in the grant purpose field.

To donate by check, make your check payable to "Boston Foundation, Inc." with the name of the fund in the memo field and mail to:

The Boston Foundation
PO Box 843027
Boston, MA 02284-3027

For wire or bank transfers, or to inquire about transferring other types of assets, please click here for a PDF of the fund gift instructions or contact our Fund Administration office at (617) 338-2637 or email fundadmin@tbf.org.