Fundraiser to provide disaster relief after the Beirut Port explosion
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In the aftermath of the devastating August 4, 2020 explosion, Impact Lebanon launched the Beirut Disaster Relief fundraising campaign which raised a total of USD 9.2Mn.
As a volunteer-based organization, Impact Lebanon instituted several organizational and procedural measures to ensure the successful delivery of the fundraiser’s objectives, including setting up a fund transfer process, establishing fund allocation and monitoring & evaluation (M&E) teams, and developing key partnerships to extend out our capabilities.
Key outcomes from the institution of fund-related processes include:
• Setting up a process to reliably transfer funding to Lebanon despite the challenging local banking context
• Releasing our fund strategy in August 2020 which outlines our fund allocation intention
• Selecting 18 beneficiary NGOs, out of a pool of 150, to carry out well defined relief projects across 6 verticals: residential rehabilitation, heritage rehabilitation, Micro and Small Business (MSMB) support, livelihoods support, medical bodies and hospital support, and mental health and community support
• Setting up a significant M&E effort to track and verify the progress and impact of funded project
• ~25,000 individuals have been impacted to date through funded relief efforts, which include: the rehabilitation of 1807 residential units, 168 heritage units, 434 MSMBs; the reconstruction and assistance of 3 hospitals; the provision of cash grants to 6 businesses, livelihood support to 729 individuals and a total of 303 psychosocial support sessions
Key outcomes from the institution of fund-related processes include:
• Setting up a process to reliably transfer funding to Lebanon despite the challenging local banking context
• Releasing our fund strategy in August 2020 which outlines our fund allocation intention
• Selecting 18 beneficiary NGOs, out of a pool of 150, to carry out well defined relief projects across 6 verticals: residential rehabilitation, heritage rehabilitation, Micro and Small Business (MSMB) support, livelihoods support, medical bodies and hospital support, and mental health and community support
• Setting up a significant M&E effort to track and verify the progress and impact of funded project
• ~25,000 individuals have been impacted to date through funded relief efforts, which include: the rehabilitation of 1807 residential units, 168 heritage units, 434 MSMBs; the reconstruction and assistance of 3 hospitals; the provision of cash grants to 6 businesses, livelihood support to 729 individuals and a total of 303 psychosocial support sessions
Most projects have already been completed or are expected to be completed by August 2021. We are closely monitoring a few longer-term projects related to hospital reconstruction, residential/heritage rehabilitation and mental health, which are expected to wrap up by 2022. Final progress metrics will be reported once all projects are completed.
The Beirut Disaster Relief Fund was a major turning point for Impact Lebanon as it allowed the team to rethink its role in the context of the broader ongoing civil society efforts to help Lebanon. Looking ahead, and recognizing Impact Lebanon’s role in engaging the Lebanese diaspora, the mandate going forward include the following:
• Promoting active citizenship, political engagement and awareness, specifically in the diaspora, through our existing initiatives: Sawti, Wijhet Nazar, Tarbileb and Jouzouri;
• Addressing the educational needs of Lebanese students, though our planned endowment fund, mentorship program, Edupact, and laptop drive, among others;
• Focusing on capacity building of local Lebanese institutions, through initiatives such as Environment Academy and Dikkeni.
We would like to extend to all of our donors our deepest gratitude for making possible much needed relief efforts for the people of Beirut.
The Beirut Disaster Relief Fund was a major turning point for Impact Lebanon as it allowed the team to rethink its role in the context of the broader ongoing civil society efforts to help Lebanon. Looking ahead, and recognizing Impact Lebanon’s role in engaging the Lebanese diaspora, the mandate going forward include the following:
• Promoting active citizenship, political engagement and awareness, specifically in the diaspora, through our existing initiatives: Sawti, Wijhet Nazar, Tarbileb and Jouzouri;
• Addressing the educational needs of Lebanese students, though our planned endowment fund, mentorship program, Edupact, and laptop drive, among others;
• Focusing on capacity building of local Lebanese institutions, through initiatives such as Environment Academy and Dikkeni.
We would like to extend to all of our donors our deepest gratitude for making possible much needed relief efforts for the people of Beirut.
Updates
about 3 years ago
We've release our Disaster Relief Impact Report.
The purpose of this report is twofold. The primary goal is to abide by our commitment of transparency and accountability and present to our donors and broader audience the impact realized by the funds raised. The second goal is to present valuable lessons from both our NGO partners on the ground (through the form of case studies) as well as internal learnings we had in setting up this colossal effort in an increasingly challenging context.
The purpose of this report is twofold. The primary goal is to abide by our commitment of transparency and accountability and present to our donors and broader audience the impact realized by the funds raised. The second goal is to present valuable lessons from both our NGO partners on the ground (through the form of case studies) as well as internal learnings we had in setting up this colossal effort in an increasingly challenging context.
almost 4 years ago
We’ve promised to always be transparent and our volunteer teams have been working diligently to ensure that we’re always clear in our communications with our donors and audience, and to balance between pragmatism and diligence in disbursing the donated funds.
Along with our partners 3QA, Qudarat and LIFE, we’ve been in communication with NGOs on the ground to get detailed disbursement proposals and to exercise diligence in our management of the funds we were entrusted with by donors, in order to achieve maximum impact for Beirut.
We received many proposals, attesting to the huge needs on the ground on many different fronts. We’ve remained committed to being fair and equitable, prioritising the needs and assessing the capacities of NGOs. We therefore had to set August 30th as the deadline for NGOs to submit proposals, while making sure that we had already disbursed a sizable amount for urgent matters.
After receiving 150+ proposals, navigating the legal frameworks, and working relentlessly and thoroughly, we’re now excited to announce that we’re nearly done. Over the next weeks, we should receive the remaining reports from NGOs, at which point it’ll be all systems go!
Along with our partners 3QA, Qudarat and LIFE, we’ve been in communication with NGOs on the ground to get detailed disbursement proposals and to exercise diligence in our management of the funds we were entrusted with by donors, in order to achieve maximum impact for Beirut.
We received many proposals, attesting to the huge needs on the ground on many different fronts. We’ve remained committed to being fair and equitable, prioritising the needs and assessing the capacities of NGOs. We therefore had to set August 30th as the deadline for NGOs to submit proposals, while making sure that we had already disbursed a sizable amount for urgent matters.
After receiving 150+ proposals, navigating the legal frameworks, and working relentlessly and thoroughly, we’re now excited to announce that we’re nearly done. Over the next weeks, we should receive the remaining reports from NGOs, at which point it’ll be all systems go!
about 4 years ago
We are now exiting the critical period and entering the early recovery period following the Beirut blast. Impact Lebanon has implemented a strategic approach in order to proceed proficiently with our fund disbursement. Our strategy is based on identifying priority areas for fund allocation, closely examining gap areas and finding the optimal fund disbursement process. More information is now available in our official report.
