The last month brought a number of severe weather events that caused significant destruction in Africa and the U.S. Cyclone Idai, which hit Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, affected more than 2 million people, half of them children. In addition, the bomb cyclone and subsequent storms in Nebraska and the Midwest caused unprecedented flooding and damage to homes and livelihoods.
We have committed $200,000 from the Bain Capital Relief Fund to four organizations – two that are working in southern Africa and two working in Nebraska: Save the Children, Direct Relief, Habitat for Humanity of Omaha, and the Grand Island Community Foundation.
Organizations leading on Cyclone Idai response
Save the Children
Bain Capital made a $75,000 grant to Save the Children, a nonprofit organization that has worked for 100 years to improve the lives of children around the world. Save the Children has a long history of work in Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Malawi, and its disaster response team has been leading coordination efforts in the three countries. Save the Children is providing food, water, shelter, and medical care. It is also working on a campaign to prevent cholera and other water-borne diseases.
Direct Relief
Bain Capital also provided a $75,000 grant to Direct Relief, which has worked to equip healthcare providers who care for vulnerable people during emergencies and on an ongoing basis. Direct Relief is coordinating delivery of lifesaving drugs and other medical supplies to clinics, teams of physicians, and public health facilities. Direct Relief is also deploying cholera treatment kits to affected areas to serve patients and to combat widespread outbreaks. Bain Capital also supported Direct Relief in its efforts after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico.
Organizations supporting relief and reconstruction in Nebraska
Habitat for Humanity of Omaha
Bain Capital provided a $25,000 grant to Habitat for Humanity of Omaha, which provides low to moderate-income families with opportunities to own homes. In the wake of the cyclone and flooding in March, Habitat has been organizing groups of volunteers to support people who have been displaced, and they are also working to find permanent options for families to resettle.
Grand Island Community Foundation
Bain Capital also provided a $25,000 grant to the Grand Island Community Foundation’s Central Nebraska Disaster Relief Fund, which is providing direct support to individuals and families to meet immediate and longer-term food, water, and shelter needs.
About the Bain Capital Relief Fund
The Bain Capital Relief Fund builds on the firm’s long history of supporting disaster relief efforts in response to Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Sandy, Fukushima and numerous other incidents. The fund was seeded with contributions from Bain Capital managing directors and employees, and grants are deployed to nonprofit organizations delivering humanitarian relief and ongoing reconstruction assistance in response to major crises that occur around the world. In its first year, the Relief Fund provided nearly $500,000 to nonprofit organizations supporting relief and reconstruction after Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico, Hurricane Michael in Florida, and the Camp wildfire in northern California.
