One month after Maria, Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico reaches $2 million

Gifts and pledges continue at strong pace, but need will continue for months, years

Boston – Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico/Massachusetts Unido por Puerto Rico today announced that it had raised more than $2 million in pledges and gifts to the Fund, on the one month anniversary of Hurricane Maria’s landfall on the Puerto Rico coast. Leaders of the Fund, however, say they will continue to fundraise for relief, reconstruction and relocation efforts.

“This milestone is a reflection of the generosity and understanding of the people of Massachusetts that millions of Americans are in desperate need of assistance, one month after the storm,” said Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation, which is co-sponsoring the fund with the Foundation’s Latino Legacy Fund. “This is no time to falter in our resolve to help – when millions are without basic necessities such as water, housing and electricity.” 

Latest figures suggest nearly 3 in 10 Puerto Ricans on the island continue to lack access to fresh water, and more than three-quarters of the island remains without power. In addition, Massachusetts agencies are seeing a developing stream of Puerto Ricans seeking to relocate to Massachusetts after the storm.

“We are continuing to identify and support grassroots organizations on the ground in Puerto Rico that can have the greatest impact on quality of life there,” said Vanessa Calderon-Rosado, co-chair of Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico. “But we are also seeing where your generous donations can have the greatest impact for those relocating to Massachusetts, and for the local organizations who must have the resources to support them.”

More than 1,500 individual donations, coupled with gifts from businesses, donors and large- and small-scale fundraising efforts, have gotten the Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico Fund to the $2 million milestone.

The Fund Advisory Committee announced its first round of grants on October 13, and plans to make grants on a rolling basis through the end of 2018.

For the latest information about Massachusetts United for Puerto Rico/Massachusetts Unido por Puerto Rico, and to donate to the Fund - visit tbf.org/puertorico 

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The Boston Foundation, Greater Boston’s community foundation, is one of the largest community foundations in the nation, with net assets of some $1 billion. In 2016, the Foundation and its donors paid $100 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and received gifts of more than $107 million. The Foundation is proud to be a partner in philanthropy, with more than 1,000 separate charitable funds established by donors either for the general benefit of the community or for special purposes. The Boston Foundation also serves as a major civic leader, think tank and advocacy organization, commissioning research into the most critical issues of our time and helping to shape public policy designed to advance opportunity for everyone in Greater Boston. The Philanthropic Initiative (TPI), a distinct operating unit of the Foundation, designs and implements customized philanthropic strategies for families, foundations and corporations both here and around the globe. For more information about the Boston Foundation or TPI, visit tbf.org or call 617.338.1700.

The Latino Legacy Fund at the Boston Foundation, the first Latino-focused fund in Greater Boston, is a unique partnership of Latino philanthropists and leaders, the Boston Foundation and Hispanics in Philanthropy. Its mission is to create and maintain a permanent endowment to strengthen the diverse Latino community. The Latino Legacy Fund is on track to meet its goal of raising $1 million by 2018. In 2017, the Latino Legacy Fund will make its fourth round of grants to organizations targeting the challenges facing the Latino community in Greater Boston.