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| Huracán Foundation | |
|---|---|
| Name | Huracán Foundation |
| Type | Nonprofit organization |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Founder | Alejandro Rivera |
| Headquarters | Buenos Aires, Argentina |
| Region | Latin America |
| Focus | Disaster relief, climate resilience, cultural heritage |
Huracán Foundation is a Buenos Aires–based nonprofit that operates across Latin America and the Caribbean, focused on disaster relief, climate resilience, and cultural heritage preservation. It works with municipal authorities, international agencies, and community organizations to implement rapid response, risk reduction, and sustainable recovery programs. The foundation has collaborated with governments, multilateral institutions, universities, and NGOs to deliver humanitarian aid, technical assistance, and public education.
Founded in 2003 by humanitarian entrepreneur Alejandro Rivera after the 2001 Argentine economic crisis, the foundation initially provided emergency aid to flood-affected communities in Buenos Aires Province. Early partners included United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, World Bank, Inter-American Development Bank, and regional NGOs. In 2007 the organization expanded into the Caribbean following Hurricane Dean and later contributed to relief after Hurricane Maria in 2017, coordinating logistics with Pan American Health Organization and World Food Programme. The foundation’s portfolio grew to include climate adaptation projects influenced by research from World Resources Institute, United Nations Environment Programme, and academic collaborations with University of Buenos Aires, Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The foundation’s mission combines rapid humanitarian assistance with long-term resilience building, emphasizing preservation of cultural heritage and community-led recovery. Strategic objectives align with frameworks such as the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Paris Agreement, and the Sustainable Development Goals promoted by the United Nations. Priority goals include reducing vulnerability in coastal municipalities, strengthening municipal emergency management systems modeled on best practices from City of Miami, Bogotá, and Santiago de Chile, and safeguarding sites of historical significance similar to projects supported by UNESCO and ICOMOS.
Programs encompass emergency response, risk reduction, cultural heritage protection, and capacity building. Emergency response activities coordinate with Doctors Without Borders, Mercy Corps, Oxfam International, and national civil protection agencies in Argentina, Mexico, and Honduras. Risk reduction initiatives integrate nature-based solutions informed by studies from Conservation International and The Nature Conservancy and are implemented in partnership with municipal governments like Valparaíso City Council and Port-au-Prince Prefecture. Cultural heritage projects mirror conservation approaches used at sites such as Casa Rosada, Cusco Cathedral, and Old San Juan, incorporating conservationists from Getty Conservation Institute. Capacity-building curricula have been co-developed with Harvard University, London School of Economics, and regional training centers operated with Mercosur affiliates.
Governance is overseen by a board comprising humanitarian leaders, academics, and private-sector executives with experience at Amnesty International, International Committee of the Red Cross, Oxfam, and multinational corporations like Coca-Cola Company and BBVA. The foundation’s bylaws reflect accountability practices recommended by Charity Navigator and International Non-Governmental Organisations (INGO) Accountability Charter. Funding sources include grants from the European Commission Humanitarian Aid Office (ECHO), multilateral loans from the Inter-American Development Bank, philanthropic contributions from foundations such as Ford Foundation and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, corporate partnerships with Santander Group and Iberdrola, and donor campaigns supported by celebrities and artists affiliated with institutions like Teatro Colón.
Partnerships span international agencies, universities, cultural institutions, and local community organizations. Collaborative efforts have linked the foundation to UNICEF, UNDP, REDLAC, and regional networks including Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency and Andean Community. Community-level impact is documented in projects with municipal governments in Mar del Plata, Rosario, Lima, and Guayaquil, and through grassroots partners such as neighborhood associations modeled after Movimiento de Trabajadores Excluidos. Educational outreach has involved museums and cultural centers like Museo Nacional de Bellas Artes (Argentina), Museo de la Ciudad, and local libraries participating in resilience workshops inspired by initiatives at Smithsonian Institution and British Museum.
Notable projects include coordinated relief logistics during Hurricane Sandy-related regional responses, restoration of earthquake-damaged colonial churches in collaboration with ICOMOS and the Getty Foundation, a coastal mangrove restoration program informed by Wetlands International methodologies, and a municipal early-warning system pilot used in Valparaíso that drew on sensor networks developed with MIT Media Lab researchers. The foundation received awards and recognition from entities such as the Inter-American Development Bank’s social innovation prize and commendations from national legislatures for disaster response. Evaluation reports cite measurable reductions in displacement duration and improvements in post-disaster livelihoods in beneficiary communities across Argentina, Haiti, and Guatemala.
Category:Non-profit organizations based in Argentina Category:Disaster relief organizations Category:Environmental organizations