How Rihanna's Clara Lionel Foundation is Changing Emergency Response

At the Forbes Impact Summit on June 13th, the foundation’s executive director Justine Lucas announced that they launched a $25M emergency response philanthropic fund earlier in the month to coincide with the start of hurricane season. They believe that current emergency response efforts are antiquated because funds are often raised in response to disasters and efforts are duplicative as many organizations rush to help before donor fatigue quickly sets in and another natural disaster occurs.

“Timing is one of the biggest challenges in emergency response, as people don’t often think about disaster relief until the disaster has already occurred. Our new approach shifts that timeline, moving away from reactionary fundraising to a proactive, sustainable model that addresses both immediate and long-term needs,” says Lucas.

CLF will establish “partnerships for preparedness” with suppliers to provide water, generators, temporary shelters, food, hygiene products, solar lamps and other necessities and plan to preposition supplies strategically before the disaster occurs. Their goal is to issue grants to organizations within 48-hours of the disaster and to foster long-term support that prioritizes sustainability, women and girls and creating models for future response. The funds will be invested in a diverse portfolio, and they will regularly measure and report on the return, risk and responsible investing impact of the portfolio.

To date, CLF has worked with emergency response partners to provide immediate help in the southern United States, Mexico and the Caribbean in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma, Harvey and Maria, as well as the earthquakes in Mexico. Since 2016, CLF has donated 735,025 supplies and reached approximately 275,127 people. With hurricane season on the horizon, CLF’s work is more important than ever.

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