Latino Equity Fund at the Boston Foundation launches Mass. United for Venezuela Fund
New effort will support relief and recovery efforts following devastating earthquakes
June 30, 2026
Boston – The Latino Equity Fund at the Boston Foundation, the first Latino-focused fund in Massachusetts, today announced that it is coordinating a statewide effort to support organizations that are working to help thousands of people in Venezuela in the aftermath of the earthquakes that devastated the country last week.
More than 1,700 people died and thousands more people have been displaced by earthquake damage in northern Venezuela after two magnitude 7 quakes struck within 39 seconds of each other last week. The quakes are estimated to have caused as much as $6.7 billion in damage.
The new fund, Massachusetts United for Venezuela, will have a similar structure to efforts to support Puerto Rico after the devastation of Hurricane Maria in 2017. Initial funds are being raised to support immediate relief efforts on the ground in Venezuela, with a longer-term focus on supporting organizations that can help rebuild and support the affected region in the months and years ahead.
The fund is launching with an initial commitment of $100,000 from Boston Foundation and Latino Equity Fund donors. The Fund is also developing a curated giving guide to connect donors to trusted organizations on the ground in Venezuela. In partnership with Venezuelan community leaders, local organizations, and Venezuelan-owned small businesses, this effort will ensure resources are directed where they are needed most and guided by the people closest to the crisis.
“The immediate need in communities across Venezuela cannot be overstated, and the devastation to homes, buildings and infrastructure across a wide swath of Venezuela will take months to years to rebuild.” said Javier Juarez, Executive Director of the Latino Equity Fund. “Just as we were able to do after Maria, the Latino Equity Fund is uniquely positioned to mobilize philanthropy for Latino communities during moments that matter most. We hope that with our partnerships across philanthropy, business, government, and the Venezuelan community, we can coordinate a response that no single organization could accomplish alone.”
Initial community partners in the Fund include the Venezuelan Association of Massachusetts, Casa VZL New England, small business partners Carolicious, Peka Restaurant, Viva Mi Arepa, Don Tequeño y Doña Arepa (Dorchester & Jamaica Plain), and several individuals, including artist Franklin Marval, who designed the effort's logo.
To learn more about the Fund and to make a donation, visit TBF.org/Venezuela. The fund is currently accepting donations by check, credit card and through donor advised funds at the Boston Foundation and other fund providers.
More than 25,000 Venezuelans live in New England, with an estimated 12,000 living in Massachusetts, primarily in Greater Boston, Framingham, Chelsea, Everett, Lynn and Revere.
The Venezuelan population has been one of the fastest-growing Latino communities in New England over the past five years, driven largely by humanitarian migration.