Hope in Crisis Fund

Thank you for your generous donation to the Hope in Crisis Fund. Your support is already making a significant impact, helping to change the lives of those affected by often-overlooked crises, including armed conflicts, famines, persecution, and climate catastrophes. These challenges are exacerbated by historical injustices like colonialism and systemic inequities, and they often receive little attention in mainstream media.

This year, donations from the Hope in Crisis Fund have supported six grants to high-impact,community-led nonprofit organizations in Myanmar and the Democratic Republic of Congo—both of which face crises that have not received the necessary attention to support communities facing catastrophes. 

Since February 2021, more than 390,000 people have been internally displaced in Myanmar due to recent violence, adding to the 18.6 million identified as in need beforehand. To make matters worse, disasters like Super Typhoon Yagi displaced hundreds of communities when it made landfall this August.

Meanwhile, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, limited healthcare access, malnutrition, and infectious diseases are worsening conditions for communities, leaving 25.4 million people in need. Similar to Myanmar, the Democratic Republic of the Congo is also grappling with new challenges, such as the spread of mpox virus, which was declared a public emergency by WHO in August 2024.

Here is a short description of the critical work you’ve supported: 

• Mleci asbl is assisting 800 households in Fizi by providing food, non-food items, and seeds. They are also digging two pump wells and distributing agricultural supplies to 300 households to ensure access to water and nutritious food for those most vulnerable.
• Girl Determined is working with 10-15 communities impacted by deadly flooding across Myanmar with a focus on adolescent girls and young women at risk of violence. The organization collaborates with females aged 12-17 to co-design disaster response and safety plans, ensuring they are better prepared for future disasters.
• Foundation for the Rights of Disadvantaged Populations (APRRN) is working with three Rohingya-led organizations to provide emergency aid and shelters across the Rakhine state of Myanmar. The Rohingya people are systematically marginalized and face ongoing violence as an ethnic minority.
• Fonds pour les Femmes Congolaises (FFC) is combating sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV) in the Congo by supporting grassroots, women-led organizations across the country who are dedicated to initiatives ranging from food security to protection for women and girls.
• Suwannimit Foundation is collaborating with its close community partner, a healthcare clinic, to serve internally displaced populations and provide emergency healthcare.
• Chirezi Foundation (FOCHI) is working with 20 existing and 44 new village savings and loan associations (VSLAs) with more than 1,100 members to empower women, encourage savings, reduce poverty,  and enhance social cohesion by improving financial access and community collaboration.

Here is what one partner shared about receiving a grant from the Hope in Crisis Fund:

“This grant will be pivotal in advancing our work in empowering vulnerable women and girls in conflict-prone areas of the DRC.”  — Wangechi Githaiga, Fonds pour les Femmes Congolaises

Your support of the GlobalGiving Hope in Crisis Fund powers community-led responses, and it means people like Wangechi get the critical resources they need to help their community during protracted and complex crises. 

With gratitude, 

Thank you for your generous donation to GlobalGiving’s Hope in Crisis Fund. Your contribution is having a meaningful impact on the lives of people affected by some of the world’s most pressing crises. 

The fund was launched in 2022 to support vetted nonprofits confronting complex crises and emergencies with limited resources. GlobalGiving co-designed the fund’s grantmaking priorities and criteria with eight nonprofit leaders from around the world. Following the co-design process, GlobalGiving made flexible grants to eight vetted nonprofit partners in Yemen and the Democratic Republic of Congo. We are excited to share with you how these organizations brought hope to more than 18,000 people with your help.

Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

Communities in the DRC faced life-threatening circumstances in 2023 as violence spread and displaced more than a million people in a crisis that was sorely missing from news headlines. Sexual violence, difficulties in accessing healthcare and education, and limited economic opportunities are key challenges facing communities in the country. Inflation increased costs for nonprofit partners, leading them to make some difficult decisions about how to use their GlobalGiving grants. Communities chose to save lives with greater emphasis on emergency support than they initially planned. Unfortunately, as is common for many partners working without enough resources, this meant that longer-term activities were sacrificed.

Despite the challenges, our partners working in the DRC supported more than 4,000 people across the country over the past year alone. Business for Better Society provided menstrual hygiene supplies for displaced women, which were reusable pads created through BBS sewing training. Solidarity with Vulnerable People for Community Development (SOPEVUDECO) provided education opportunities to girls, including orphans, and microcredit to women, including survivors of sexual violence who are often stigmatized. Both BBS and SOPEVUDECO made important strides in preventing child soldier recruitment, with a specific focus on boys in vulnerable situations and reintegrating former soldiers into society with dignity. And BBS and Hope for Our Sisters provided shelter, healthcare, and nutrition to support communities without a safe and dignified place to live. Additionally, the Idjwi Island Education Fund will continue working into 2024, utilizing the flexible, multi-year support from the Hope in Crisis Fund. 

Yemen

As Yemen reels from a devastating civil war, our nonprofit partners have faced immense uncertainty. As one partner shared, the Hope in Crisis grant came at an especially crucial time as they faced an overall reduction in humanitarian aid. Risks that Yemenis have faced in recent years have included famine, flooding, and lack of safe places in a war. Thanks to your support, our partners in Yemen have helped more than 14,000 people. 

AWTAD Anti-Corruption Organization was able to provide support to those confronting reductions in international assistance, particularly for displaced women in conflict-affected cities. This meant that girls in the womens’ families could afford to go to school. Similarly, Yemen Family Care Association prioritized rehabilitation of schools and teacher training, with the longer-term objective of providing quality education and offering alternatives to youth military recruitment. Youth For Homeland provided life-saving assistance, including water, to remote village communities affected by flooding in Yemen, supported by local volunteers. Building Foundation For Development (BfD) prioritized maternal and prenatal healthcare for conflict-affected communities, serving thousands of women and children with medical care. This work continues as BfD continues to strengthen a healthcare center in Aden. 

Our partners did all of this with several efforts in common: listening to communities to provide what they want; understanding the local context before rolling out activities; and prioritizing vulnerable communities. They carefully managed challenges of equity, bureaucracy, and conflict, demonstrating the power and potential of community-led initiatives. 

Your donation to the Hope in Crisis Fund powered these efforts. As our partners at BfD shared, the outcomes of your support “serve as an inspiration, reminding us of the enormous potential for positive change when communities come together for a common cause.” GlobalGiving will soon make another set of grants to bring hope to communities in crisis, and we remain hopeful for your ongoing support.

With gratitude, 

Sarah + the GlobalGiving team