[September 13, 2017]

Fidelity Charitable® Issues Additional Guidance on Hurricanes Harvey and Irma Relief

A week after Hurricane Harvey wreaked havoc across the Gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana, Hurricane Irma, one of the Atlantic's most powerful storms ever recorded, swept across the Caribbean and into the southeastern United States.

Hurricane Irma made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm on September 10, after leaving a trail of destruction through the Caribbean. In the Caribbean, many islands remain without power and with little food and shelter. In Florida, more than seven million were evacuated throughout the state, and more than 6 million are without power - including many hospitals and medical facilities. Wind, rain, and floods from the storm caused far-reaching destruction and displacement, and recovery from the storm will take months and years.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Harvey recovery is in full force along the Gulf coast of Texas and Louisiana. FEMA modeling projects that 2.7 million homes in 29 counties in Texas were affected by the storm, and at least 22,000 homes have major or significant damages. Ongoing challenges in the region include transportation, sheltering displaced people, medical care, communication and power outages.

Critical needs at this time vary depending on the area of the Gulf coast. In some areas, clean-up crews and muck-out efforts are well under way. Other areas are still focused on re-establishing essential resources, such as road access and clinic and hospital operations. We anticipate long-term needs to be housing, mental health, case management, and economic development, though specific needs will unfold in the coming months.

How to help in the United States
Fidelity Charitable has collaborated with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy to provide the following list of organizations providing relief services for Hurricanes Irma and Harvey. These organizations are highlighted because they have existing operations in the region, the ability to incorporate a large influx of donations, and a strong, established record of excellence in disaster relief services. We expect to incorporate more local organizations into this list in the coming weeks, as these organizations establish long-term recovery plans.

Following a natural disaster, there can be an increased risk of fraud committed by individuals preying upon the good intentions of people wanting to help; donors should take care that the organizations they are supporting are legitimate. Fidelity Charitable makes grants only to IRS-qualified 501(c)(3) public charities, such as the organizations below.

Please note the organizations listed in this guidance do not represent the full list of organizations raising money for relief efforts for Hurricanes Irma and Harvey. Fidelity Charitable has collaborated with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy to provide these organizations to donors for reference purposes only, and Fidelity Charitable does not endorse these organizations. All grant recommendations are subject to review and approval by the Fidelity Charitable Trustees. Fidelity Charitable will communicate all grant designation recommendations for Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey relief to grantees.

How to help in the Caribbean
Fidelity Charitable has collaborated with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy to provide the following list of organizations providing relief services for Hurricanes Irma in the Caribbean. As with the organizations above, these groups are highlighted because they have existing operations in the region, the ability to incorporate a large influx of donations, and a strong, established record of excellence in disaster relief services.

We expect to incorporate more local organizations into this list in the coming weeks, as these organizations establish long-term recovery plans.

Please note the organizations listed in this guidance do not represent the full list of organizations raising money for relief efforts for Hurricane Irma. Fidelity Charitable has collaborated with the Center for Disaster Philanthropy to provide these organizations to donors for reference purposes only, and Fidelity Charitable does not endorse these organizations. All grant recommendations are subject to review and approval by the Fidelity Charitable Trustees. Fidelity Charitable will communicate all grant designation recommendations for Hurricane Irma relief to grantees.

How to help with long-term recovery
While there is urgent need for immediate relief, we expect the relief efforts will extend well beyond the immediate aftermath of the storm, as residents of the region begin to recover and rebuild their homes, businesses and lives. If you are interested in supporting long-term recovery efforts, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy has created the Hurricane Harvey Recovery Fund and the Hurricane Irma Recovery Fund, which will both provide support in the months and years to come, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations.

Related resources:

About Fidelity Charitable
Fidelity Charitable is an independent public charity that has helped donors support more than 235,000 nonprofit organizations with more than $26 billion in grants. Established in 1991, Fidelity Charitable launched the first national donor-advised fund program. The mission of the organization is to grow the American tradition of philanthropy by providing programs that make charitable giving accessible, simple, and effective. For more information about Fidelity Charitable, visit https://www.fidelitycharitable.org.

Fidelity Charitable is the brand name for the Fidelity® Charitable Gift Fund, an independent public charity with a donor-advised fund program. Various Fidelity companies provide services to Fidelity Charitable. The Fidelity Charitable name and logo and Fidelity are registered service marks of FMR LLC, used by Fidelity Charitable under license.

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