Q: Has the Clinton Foundation donated any money to the recent hurricane relief efforts?
—Shirley Russell, White Plains
A: The Clinton Foundation has not donated any money to outside hurricane relief operations, but is instead using its funds to coordinate its own recovery efforts, Brian Cookstra, the organization's director of communications, told Q&A on the news via email.
For instance, the Clinton Foundation is working with members of the Clinton Global Initiative community who are on the ground providing relief support and assessing needs in Texas, Florida and the Caribbean, like Direct Relief and Team Rubicon, he wrote. Clinton Foundation staff are working with CGI members and other partners to identify priority needs and are helping to coordinate sourcing and distribution of relief supplies and equipment, he added.
Cookstra said the Clinton Foundation is an operating foundation and not a grant-based group, meaning it creates its own programs and initiatives instead of giving to other charities. In the Caribbean, the Clinton Foundation is working directly with some of the affected islands to establish renewable energy systems, he wrote.
Additionally, Cookstra said the Clintons have donated to the relief effort from their personal family fund.
Former President Bill Clinton has also joined former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, George H.W. Bush and Jimmy Carter in issuing the “One America Appeal” to help recent hurricane victims.
Fast Copy News Service wrote this column. Dillon Thompson contributed. Do you have a question? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
About the Author
