Washington, DC - I am thrilled to announce the release of GFC’s latest title, Our Grandparents: A Global Album, now available in stores and online.

Babu and Bibi, Abuelito and Abuelita, Ojiichan and Obaachan. Whatever the names we give to our grandfathers and grandmothers, they hold places of honor because of their ability to teach, to encourage, and to lavish love. The photographs that line each page in Our Grandparents teach children that this bond exists across cultures and borders.

A foreword by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a portrait gallery with affectionate names for grandparents in multiple languages, and ideas of things that children can do with their grandparents supplement the touching images and text. Read more

Washington, DC - Over the last few weeks, I’ve been contacted by many friends, colleagues, and Global Fund for Children supporters expressing concerns about exactly how the massive amounts of funding and resources for Haiti will be deployed. I wanted to take a moment to respond and share some of my thoughts on the situation.

I, too, am concerned that despite the tremendous outpouring of support in the immediate aftermath of the earthquake, the resources and funds will be focused solely on large-scale organizations and projects. To be sure, a global panoply of governmental and nongovernmental organizations are vital to the short- and long-term survival of Haiti and its people. The scope and scale of this disaster requires mobilization and coordination on an unprecedented level.

But the danger in focusing global resources solely on large international entities is that as soon as the situation begins to become somewhat manageable, the vast majority of these groups will close up shop and move on to the next crisis. That is not a criticism, as this is the very model on which they operate. Nonetheless, their inevitable departure has the potential to dampen Haiti’s prognosis for long-term recovery. Read more

Washington, DC - Like you, I have been watching the reports from Haiti with a heavy heart. The destruction is overwhelming, and each day brings new stories of devastation. I am humbled by the scope of the hard work being undertaken by crisis organizations on the ground as they work around the clock to save lives and bring immediate relief to those who need it most.

Over the past few days, I have received many phone calls and emails from donors and friends asking me how they can best support the relief efforts on the ground.

To be clear, The Global Fund for Children does not specialize in disaster relief. Our work focuses on long-term strategic investment at the local level. During times of crisis, we set up emergency funds to both support the immediate needs of our partners on the ground and to work with them to develop long-term responses to the needs of their communities. For example, after the tsunami struck in 2004, we engaged in recovery and renewal efforts with grantee partners for over four years. Read more

Washington, DC - Last night, a devastating earthquake struck 10 miles south of Port-au-Prince, Haiti, registering 7.3 on the Richter scale and leaving the capital and surrounding areas in ruins. We remain attentive to news updates, which estimate that more than 100,000 people have died and more than 3 million have been affected and are left without electricity. Haiti’s president, René Préval, said the toll was “unimaginable” and included the collapse of many government buildings, foreign aid headquarters, hospitals, schools, and shantytowns.

We are reaching out to our Haitian grantee partners to determine how best to assist their efforts on the ground. We are concerned for their safety, but have not been able to establish direct contact with them. We know there will be incredible demands for support once communication is re-established and have activated our emergency grant funds to begin to meet their needs. As a country of extreme poverty, Haiti will rely on the response of the international community. Read more

Washington, DC - The Global Fund for Children (GFC) is always eager to bring attention to people and organizations that are making a difference in the lives of children and youth around the world. One such person is Howard G. Buffett, widely known for his philanthropic efforts associated with the Howard G. Buffett Foundation (HGBF). It is my pleasure to introduce you to his recently published book, Fragile: The Human Condition.

More than 400 photographs document narratives from 65 countries, exposing the often harsh realities faced by our global neighbors. Through striking and haunting photography, Fragile recounts personal and regional stories in an effort to move readers from intellectual discussion to action.

HGBF provides financial support to our mission of investing in innovative grassroots organizations serving the most vulnerable children around the world. Like Howard, we believe that we can mobilize people through the medium of on-the-ground photography, which we employ to tell the stories of our grantee partners and to capture the daily lives of children and youth around the world. We have learned a lot about hope through the work we do and by watching kindred organizations like the HGBF. Read more