MCF NEWS ARCHIVES
4/12/05

The Otto Bremer Foundation, St. Paul, is supporting the tsunami fundraising efforts of Minnesota nonprofits through a grant to Pan-Asian Tsunami Healing (PATH).

PATH, a consortium established in response to December’s tsunami disaster, is partnering with The Saint Paul Foundation to accept the grant of $250,000. PATH will make $200,000 available as matching funds for South Asian and African community-based Minnesota nonprofits that are raising funds for tsunami relief. The remainder of the grant will provide technical assistance and capacity building for the nonprofits during their fundraising campaigns and to hold a commemorative event in December to mark the anniversary of the disaster with art, dance and music from the various cultures affected.

An advisory committee comprised of individuals representing the many countries affected by the tsunami will guide the grantmaking process and will work with nonprofits to assist them in their fundraising efforts. The advisory committee is intended to represent the nearly 20,000 Minnesotans who call the tsunami-hit areas home or have relatives in those parts of the world. The committee list is being finalized and will be published at a later date.

Penelope Haru Snipper, consulting manager for PATH, says the group’s focus in providing matching grants is to help ensure that tsunami victims have access to the funds they need to rebuild their lives with dignity during the long process of recovery and reconstruction. "We need to raise awareness about the communities hit by the tsunami. They represent not just disaster victims, but proud histories and vibrant cultures," said Snipper.

PATH launched its matching grants program at Lincoln Elementary School in Elk River. The school is beginning a fundraising campaign for tsunami relief and has invited PATH to help educate its student body about the region affected by the disaster. PATH presenters will teach the students about the geography of the region affected by the tsunami and about specific efforts to rebuild homes and schools in Sri Lanka. PATH hopes that the launch event will lead to a sister-school relationship between Lincoln Elementary and a school being rebuilt in Sri Lanka.

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