Boston Foundation donates $25,000 to Greater Houston Community Foundation for Harvey relief

Boston – The Boston Foundation today announced it had made a $25,000 donation to the Greater Houston Community Foundation earmarked for the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund, part of a broader effort to raise awareness and funds for the thousands of victims of ongoing flooding across Texas.

“This ongoing storm is creating short-term and long-term needs throughout the Houston area, and creating a humanitarian crisis that will take months, if not years, to repair. It is imperative for people and organizations around the country to rally together in support of the people of Houston and help them rebuild,” said Paul S. Grogan, President and CEO of the Boston Foundation.

In addition to the grant, the Foundation has also reached out to its community of donors to urge their support of Harvey relief efforts, and will consider other grants to support relief efforts and Greater Boston-area organizations who are volunteering their time and resources for Harvey relief efforts.

“As we learned during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, recovery will require waves of effort and support,” said Orlando C. Watkins, Vice President for Programs at the Boston Foundation, who served as Vice President of Programs for the Greater New Orleans Community Foundation from 2005 to 2009, in the aftermath of Katrina.

“While the level of damage is remarkable, so is the capacity of citizens, volunteers, and organizations from across the country to repair that damage,” said Watkins. “We are already seeing that capacity on display today, and it is important that we continue to support and join in the efforts to rebuild in the months and years to come.”

Individuals can donate to the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund established by the city of Houston at the Greater Houston Community Foundation by visiting ghcf.org.

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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 made $100 million in grants to nonprofit organizations and received gifts of more than $107 million. In celebration of its Centennial in 2015, the Boston Foundation launched the ongoing Campaign for Boston to strengthen the Permanent Fund for Boston, the principal endowment fund focused on the most pressing needs of Greater Boston. 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 around the globe. For more information about the Boston Foundation and TPI, visit tbf.org or call 617-338-1700.