Tsunami Grants

The tsunami of December 26, 2004, affected millions of people throughout Southeast Asia and beyond. Ten GFC grantee partners in three countries either were directly affected by the immediate disaster or worked to address the tsunami’s aftermath. In the days following the tsunami, GFC devised a three-phase strategy for meeting the needs of its partners on the ground, many of which were overlooked by the larger international relief agencies due to their remoteness and the overwhelming needs of the region.

• Phase I: Relief—funding to provide immediate medical and nutritional relief
• Phase II: Rehabilitation—funding to restore, to the greatest extent possible, children’s daily routines
• Phase III: Reconstruction—funding to support long-term community reconstruction and renewal focused on the needs of children and families

Within a week of the disaster, GFC succeeded in dispersing emergency relief funding to ten community-based organizations working on the ground; in some cases, the funding from GFC was the first international support these groups received. As further relief and rehabilitation efforts progressed over the following months, GFC remained attentive to the experiences and needs of its partners, many of which were overwhelmed by the considerable response from governments, individual volunteers, and larger international donors. Despite the incredible outpouring of concern and funds for those affected by the tsunami, by March 2005 many community leaders were becoming anxious about securing support for ongoing reconstruction activities at the grassroots level.

With their concerns in mind, GFC consciously dedicated a majority of the Tsunami Relief and Reconstruction Fund—totaling nearly $500,000—to the long-term needs of devastated communities. As the international focus on the tsunami wanes, it is crucial that locally driven reconstruction efforts continue to receive the support they need to rebuild communities and lives.

Click below to view GFC’s tsunami grants.
Phase I grants
Phase II grants
Phase III grants