$45,000 Grant to Help Haitian Credit Unions Recover from August Earthquake

MADISON, Wis.—Six credit unions in Haiti devastated by an August 14 earthquake will soon be back and up running thanks to a $45,000 grant issued through Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions’ Project Storm Break initiative.

The money will help the impacted credit unions set up emergency tents, IT equipment and other supplies needed to begin serving members as assessments on their damaged permanent structures continue. All six credit unions are located near the epicenter of the 7.2 magnitude earthquake, which struck in the southwest corner of Haiti’s Tiburon Peninsula.

Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, the charitable and engagement arm of World Council of Credit Unions (WOCCU), will administer the grant to Association Nationale des Caisses Populaires Haitiennes (ANACAPH). A credit union-owned organization and affiliate member of WOCCU, ANACAPH provides representation, advocacy, governance, IT support, education, technical assistance and training to 86 credit unions serving more than one million members in Haiti.

ANACAPH will disburse the funds among the six impacted credit unions and provide updates on their progress to Worldwide Foundation. As assessments of the credit union damage in Haiti continue, Worldwide Foundation will work with ANACAPH to determine a long-range relief campaign through Project Storm Break.

“It is because of the generosity of credit union peers worldwide that we are able to partner with ANACAPH to get these six credit unions up and running again," said Mike Reuter, Executive Director of Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions. “Project Storm Break did its job of responding as quickly as possible post-earthquake in coordinating a short-term relief response with ANACAPH and its member credit unions.”

Along with providing relief from several natural disasters, Project Storm Break funds have also been utilized to help stop the spread of COVID-19. The Worldwide Foundation has worked with credit union associations around the world to deliver 70,000 masks and other types of personal protective equipment to credit unions in more than 30 countries. 

Donations to replenish the Project Storm Break fund are appreciated and needed to sustain Worldwide Foundation's relief efforts. Visit Worldwide Foundation’s Project Storm Break page to make a generous contribution.

The Worldwide Foundation for Credit Unions, as the strategic partner of the World Council, bridges gaps impacting credit unions' ability to grow and advance financial inclusion worldwide. Our commitment to provide global credit union journeys augments our shared vision with World Council's of realizing a vibrant and growing global credit union movement. Worldwide Foundation's philanthropy advances World Council's technical capacity to strengthen credit union systems that advance financial inclusion to underserved communities. 

El Consejo Mundial de Cooperativas de Ahorro y Crédito es la asociación gremial y agencia de desarrollo para el sistema internacional de cooperativas de ahorro y crédito. El Consejo Mundial promueve el crecimiento sustentable de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito y otras cooperativas financieras en todo el mundo a fin de facultar a las personas para que mejoren su calidad de vida a través del acceso a servicios financieros asequibles y de alta calidad. El Consejo Mundial realiza esfuerzos de defensa activa en representación del sistema global de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito ante organizaciones internacionales y trabaja con gobiernos nacionales para mejorar la legislación y la regulación. Sus programas de asistencia técnica introducen nuevas herramientas y tecnologías para fortalecer el desempeño financiero de las cooperativas de ahorro y crédito y profundizar su alcance comunitario.

El Consejo Mundial ha implementado 300+ programas de asistencia técnica en 90 países. A nivel mundial, 74,634 cooperativas de ahorro y crédito en 104 países atienden a 411 million de personas. Obtenga más información sobre el impacto global del Consejo Mundial en www.woccu.org.