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Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund

Helping our neighbors in times of need.

On Monday, July 8, Hurricane Beryl made landfall between Matagorda and Galveston as a Category 1 Hurricane, impacting the City of Houston and Fort Bend, Harris, Montgomery, and Waller counties with damaging, sustained high wind and heavy rainfall. In its wake, Beryl left nearly 3 million residents in the Houston region without power. 

On Tuesday, July 9, President Joe Biden approved a Major Disaster Declaration which positions FEMA to make funding available to local governments to aid in debris removal and emergency work, including direct federal assistance once authorized. All four counties in the Disaster Alliance’s service area are included in the declaration. President Biden amended the Major Disaster Declaration for Texas on July 12 authorizing additional federal assistance to disaster survivors who are uninsured or underinsured. They can register for a range of support services, including financial aid to repair or rebuild their homes, temporary housing solutions, and access other specialized programs designed to help them quickly get back on their feet and recover from the disaster.

The Greater Houston Disaster Alliance (Disaster Alliance), has established the Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund (Fund). This Fund will support individuals and families affected by the severe weather, winds, and aftermath of Hurricane Beryl. The Fund will complement regional efforts by providing grants to local nonprofits to provide emergency financial assistance, home repair, and resource navigation services.

Thank You, Donors!

The Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund has raised $5.5 million!
Thank you to our early donors for kickstarting our recovery efforts. 
  • CenterPoint Energy Foundation ($1,000,000)
  • H-E-B ($1,000,000)
  • Sarofim Foundation ($1,000,000)
  • Calpine ($250,000)
  • NRG Energy ($250,000)
  • Quanta ($250,000)
  • Susan A. & Thomas S. Smith Foundation ($200,000)
  • Conrad N. Hilton Foundation ($150,000)
  • Dovetail Foundation ($100,000)
  • The Powell Foundation ($100,000)
  • Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund ($75,000)
  • JPMorgan Chase Foundation ($50,000)
  • NOV ($50,000)
  • Tellepsen Family Fund ($50,000)
  • Texas Mutual Foundation ($50,000)
  • William K. McGee Family Foundation ($50,000)
  • The Victor and Anna Mae Beghini Charitable Foundation ($30,000)
  • Christopher David Weekley Charitable Fund ($25,000)
  • Jeri and Marc Shapiro ($25,000)
  • Randa & K. C. Weiner ($25,000)
  • Shell (undisclosed amount)
  • Tenaska (undisclosed amount)
  • Wells Fargo (undisclosed amount)

How to Give

All donations are tax-deductible and will be used to support local nonprofit organizations providing emergency financial assistance, home repair, and resource navigation services. For more information on donation via ACH, bank, wire transfer, or by mail, see ‘Other Ways to Give’ below. Please be sure to reference Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund.
  • Credit card donations can be made through the Donate button below. When you donate to the Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund using your credit card, please note that the fund will incur a 2.5% third-party credit card processing fee which will reduce the amount remaining for disaster relief.
  • Greater Houston Community Foundation fundholders can contribute to these efforts through their donor advised fund by choosing  ‘Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund’ under the Designation section.

Contact: Angel Harris, United Way of Greater Houston | Kevin Pickett, Greater Houston Community Foundation
Greater Houston Community Foundation (EIN: 23 – 7160400) and United Way of Greater Houston (EIN: 74-1167964) are 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations. 

Helping Vulnerable Populations

The Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund will serve uninsured and underinsured low-to-moderate income families (ALICE population) affected across the City of Houston and Fort Bend, Harris, Montgomery, and Waller counties, focusing on disproportionately impacted zip codes and vulnerable populations. As more data becomes available, we will continue to refine our funding strategy.

Round One Investments - July 31, 2024

The Greater Houston Disaster Alliance is investing $3.15 million in grants from its Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund to help area neighbors who are struggling to recover from the July 8 storm. This first round of grants will support low-to-moderate income households with flexible emergency financial assistance to help defray the costs of crucial disaster recovery related expenses; provide navigation support for people accessing additional recovery services, such as FEMA and Small Business Administration (SBA) assistance; and provide targeted home repair assistance for the most severely impacted who face financial challenges covering repair costs.

A comprehensive analysis of zip codes was conducted using the above sources, identifying 47 unique zip codes across the City of Houston and surrounding counties, including Fort Bend, Harris, Montgomery, and Waller. Among these, 19 zip codes have been designated as the most affected, as they consistently ranked at the top when evaluating three criteria: total need, proportional need, and total homes damaged.

Round Two Investments - August 21, 2024

The Greater Houston Disaster Alliance is investing an additional $1.5 million in grants from its Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund to help area neighbors who are struggling to recover from the July 8 storm. Like the first round of grants, this set of investments will support low-to-moderate income households with flexible emergency financial assistance and targeted home repair assistance. This support aims to offset the costs of crucial disaster recovery related expenses and assist the most severely impacted who face financial challenges covering repair costs.

Help Seekers

Because the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance provides aid directly to nonprofits in the form of grants, it’s important to know that residents cannot apply for direct financial help from the Disaster Alliance. If you have urgent needs, we encourage you to call the 211 Texas / United Way HELPLINE, which has a continuously updated database of social service resources available through a variety of organizations in the region.

Streamlined Support: How the 211 Texas / United Way HELPLINE Connects You with Local Organizations

The 211 Texas / United Way HELPLINE is a free, confidential helpline operated by United Way of Greater Houston that provides information & referral services to help seekers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. This includes connecting individuals with nonprofit organizations that provide services relevant to their specific needs, including information about available funds and resources. Upon connecting, 211 will engage in a personalized conversation to understand the caller’s specific situation and needs, then provide direct contact information for local organizations that can best address those needs. Each organization has its own intake process, and 211’s goal is to facilitate a seamless and efficient connection between the individual and the nonprofit organization, allowing for a more personalized and effective support experience.

NEED HELP? CONTACT:

 

Report Damage & Needs

Volunteer Opportunities

By filling out the two-step Connective Survey, you’ll provide crucial information that will help us understand the full extent of the damage and share your needs with local nonprofits and government agencies.

This is not an application for assistance, but you can opt-in to receive text messages about available new resources and assistance as they become available.

As our community struggles to recover from the devastating effects of Hurricane Beryl, we urge you to join us in the efforts to rebuild and revitalize our neighborhoods by volunteering your time and skills – every pair of hands, no matter how small, is crucial in this critical moment, and together we can make a difference.

Nonprofit Partners

As power and operations are restored, we welcome your insights into on-the-ground needs in Fort Bend, Harris, Montgomery, and Waller Counties by emailing Sara Martinez or Brooke Campbell.

Please continue to check back as we ramp up our grantmaking efforts. 

MORE RESOURCES
Visit the For Nonprofits page.

Frequently Asked Questions

In partnership with City and County leaders, and the Disaster Alliance’s Disaster Recovery Council, the decision to launch the Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund was based on the significant number of households affected by severe weather and the hardships created on those families who were already struggling before disaster struck.

The Hurricane Beryl Recovery Fund will serve uninsured or underinsured low-to-moderate income families (ALICE population) in the affected counties of Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, and Waller, focusing on disproportionately impacted zip codes and vulnerable populations. As more data becomes available, we will continue to refine our funding strategy.

We encourage you to call the 211 Texas/United Way HELPLINE to find out about available resources. 211 connects our neighbors with help 24/7/365 and is our community’s go-to resource in times of disaster. 211 can connect you with food, childcare, transportation, and other social services, critical information, and community resources.

Please understand that in times of disaster, there can be long wait times due to periods of heavy call volume. Assistance through 211 can also be accessed through the following methods:

We encourage you to call the 211 Texas/United Way HELPLINE to be connected to available resources in your community.

Let’s get to know each other first!

Click here to fill out our interest form and we will follow up with you to share next steps.

Disaster Alliance resources for nonprofit partners typically support the immediate and long-term recovery of low-income and vulnerable households through a variety of disaster recovery services that are deployed based on the specific circumstances of each disaster.

Completing this form is not an application for or guarantee of funding, nor does it guarantee an invitation to join the Disaster Alliance’s nonprofit network.

Completing this form is the first step to get connected with Disaster Alliance resources that may become available in the future.

Grant amounts will be based on capacity, reach within disproportionately impacted communities, anticipated outputs/outcomes, alignment with service guidelines, and organizations that propose budgets that maximize direct resources to households and leverage other resources. 

Impacted households who meet the eligibility criteria can access emergency financial assistance starting on July 31. Home repair resources will be announced to the public on August 7. At that point, we will share eligibility requirements and how to apply for help.

Help seekers from Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery and Waller Counties should call the 211 Texas/United Way HELPLINE, a free, confidential helpline operating 24 hours a day.  A helpline specialist will gather information on the caller’s specific situation and needs and provide direct contact information for local organizations that can best address those needs.

When connected with a nonprofit partner, a basic assessment will be conducted to identify primary needs that determine the amount of flexible emergency financial assistance provided.

Additionally, eligible households will be connected with a navigator to help guide them through available federal relief programs, such as FEMA and SBA, as well as other public and private programs for temporary housing, food, medical care and other support services.  

The main criteria for the distribution of funds is need – those uninsured and underinsured low-to-moderate income families, focusing on disproportionately impacted zip codes and vulnerable populations, using a data-driven approach.

Eligibility Criteria for Round One

  • Households impacted by Hurricane Beryl on July 8 and its aftermath
  • Reside in the City of Houston, Harris, Fort Bend, Montgomery, or Waller counties
  • Are low-to-moderate income, defined as 80% or under Area Median Income (AMI)
  • Reside in a zip code disproportionately impacted by the storm or are very low-income, defined as 50% or under AMI
  • Are uninsured or under-insured homeowners or renters

The Disaster Alliance conducted a comprehensive zip code level analysis to identify the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Beryl, which drives our grantmaking strategy.

Distribution methods are dependent on the nonprofit and their systems. Payments can be in the form of check, direct deposit, gift card, Venmo or Paypal.

Media Inquiries & Press Releases

With media inquiries regarding the Greater Houston Disaster Alliance, contact:

Contact

For additional information, please click here

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