Best Charity to help with long-term Puerto Rican and US Virgin Islands recovery?

Since it has become clear that Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands are not getting what they need from government disaster recovery and rebuilding programs,  I'd like to make a modest but long-term investment in disaster relief and rebuilding.  (Sorry, but as frustrated as people may be in Texas or Florida, I trust our government to eventually do better there than they will in the non-voting possessions).

So, what I'm looking for is a charity that is on the ground, well established, non-political, and really focused on meeting the needs in the long and short term.  Dollars need to be going straight into the PR and VI economies, not supporting a building full of administrators in the US (Red Cross...never again!) 

No go-fund-me efforts -- I want a recognized charity, with tax deductions and the ability to set up a monthly auto-donation until our government starts doing right by these areas.  I don't want a charity that will serve to promote the political needs of a founder (so, for example, I'm not certain about Unidos and its connection to the island's political and corporate leadership).  I've had a surprisingly hard time finding the information I need.  Any thoughts?  I feel like I'm going to need to support this for a long time.

As an aside, I'm also open to suggestions of where to give to fund voter-registration drives among the island residents who are relocating to the US!  Every single one of them should be able to speak up in the only way that some in DC seem to hear.

Many thanks!


I, too, have searched for the most effective place to donate for this crisis.  It's impossible to know with any certainty that donations are being used responsibly, but take a look at http://www.unidosporpuertorico.com/news/

"United for Puerto Rico is an initiative brought forth by the First Lady of Puerto Rico, Beatriz Rosselló, in collaboration with the private sector, with the purpose of providing aid and support to those affected in Puerto Rico by the passage of Hurricane Irma and Hurricane María. 100% of the proceeds will go to helping the victims affected by these natural disasters in Puerto Rico."

For what it's worth, the organization has a large number of corporate sponsors, and there have been many well publicized media fundraising efforts.  None of this is any guarantee that the funds will be fairly and promptly disseminated, of course.  Ironically, the UPPR recently granted significant funds to the local Red Cross chapter.  I was disappointed with the way the Red Cross here handled the Sandy aftermath, but perhaps they're doing a better job in PR. 

If anyone has any further suggestions, I'd be interested as well. 




I might suggest speaking some of the initial disaster relief people like UMCOR of the United Methodist Church.  Given their history of strong support to most any spot in the world, I'm sure they have opinions about who is doing good work on an ongoing basis.  Here's their general website re PR:

https://www.umcor.org/umcor/resources/news-stories/2017/september/standing-in-solidarity-with-puerto-rico


Oh, and I am so supportive of your idea re Voter Registration!  Crucial to try to get then the attention they deserve! If you find organizations focused on that in FL or NY, please share!

Does anyone know of other areas where those who have fled might be congregating?

-Ron Carter


Here's a charity that might be worth checking out:  https://hispanicfederation.org/
Lin-Manuel Miranda has been very active promoting their hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico.  His father, Luis Miranda, was involved in the founding of the organization.  There is a march on Washington scheduled for Sunday 11/19.  The organization is established, and I like the fact that its financial disclosures are easily found from the home page.

Here's a related article about Lin-Manuel's efforts in Puerto Rico: 

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/lin-manuel-miranda-brings-help-hope-to-puerto-rico/




The St. John Community Foundation is worth checking.

http://thestjohnfoundation.org/index.php


For future reference, check with Charity Navigator. They are an independent watch dog of all charities and will give donors a break down of what in money was actually given and what went towards overhead. Because of their own blunders and thefts, I stopped giving to the ARC. Charity Navigator was also a big part of that decision. CharityNavigator.org



Tainas Unidas, Inc. is a facebook group  that's based in Newark. They have been asking for volunteers to help with sorting & packing in their warehouse on Mt. Prospect Ave.



ebr95 said:

Here's a charity that might be worth checking out:  https://hispanicfederation.org/
Lin-Manuel Miranda has been very active promoting their hurricane relief efforts in Puerto Rico.  His father, Luis Miranda, was involved in the founding of the organization.  There is a march on Washington scheduled for Sunday 11/19.  The organization is established, and I like the fact that its financial disclosures are easily found from the home page.


Here's a related article about Lin-Manuel's efforts in Puerto Rico: 

https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/lin-manuel-miranda-brings-help-hope-to-puerto-rico/


I gave to this charity for the same reasons.



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