Save The Children (United States of America)

Case Study: Save the Children USA’s Response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico

Mission and Vision:

• Mission:
  Save the Children USA is dedicated to ensuring that children’s rights are upheld and their needs are met in both emergency situations and everyday life. They strive to provide life-saving assistance in crises, promote access to education, protect children from harm, and support children in realizing their full potential.

• Vision:
  Save the Children USA envisions a world where every child grows up in a safe, healthy, and supportive environment, with equal opportunities for education, protection, and well-being. They aim to build a future where children can thrive and their rights are respected, especially in the face of adversity.
  
  
  

  Strategic Goals:

  Save the Children USA has identified several strategic goals to guide its work in the long-term and ensure its mission is achieved. These goals include:

  1. Emergency Response and Preparedness:

     • Goal: To enhance the ability to respond to emergencies, ensuring that children and families receive life-saving support quickly and effectively.

     • Focus: Provide humanitarian aid, set up temporary shelters, ensure access to clean water, food, and medical services.

  2. Child Protection:

     • Goal: To protect children from violence, exploitation, and abuse, especially in crisis settings.

     • Focus: Strengthen child protection mechanisms, prevent child labor, and support psychosocial care for children affected by trauma.

  3. Education:

     • Goal: To ensure that children have access to quality education and safe learning environments, even during emergencies.

     • Focus: Build temporary learning spaces, provide school supplies, and train teachers to support students' mental health and academic needs.

  4. Health and Nutrition:

     • Goal: To ensure that children receive adequate nutrition, immunization, and medical care to reduce mortality and prevent diseases.

     • Focus: Implement health programs, distribute vaccines, and provide nutrition support in crisis and non-crisis settings.

  5. Advocacy for Children's Rights:

     • Goal: To influence policies and increase global awareness about children’s rights, ensuring children’s needs are prioritized in all levels of decision-making.

     • Focus: Advocate for child-friendly policies, call for increased funding for children's programs, and raise awareness about children's needs during crises.
       
       
       

       Impact and BAPC Highlights (Best Available Programmatic Contributions):

       • Best Available Programmatic Contributions (BAPC):
         Save the Children USA’s response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico exemplifies the organization’s effectiveness in delivering a combination of immediate aid and long-term recovery programs. Some key highlights include:

         • Emergency Relief: Over 50,000 children and families were supported with essential supplies, including food, clean water, and hygiene kits.

         • Education Access: More than 2,500 children attended temporary learning spaces, allowing them to continue their education in the face of widespread school closures.

         • Child Protection Services: Thousands of children received psychosocial support, while Save the Children USA worked to prevent child exploitation and violence in the aftermath of the disaster.

         • Collaboration with Local Authorities: Save the Children partnered with local organizations and government agencies to ensure that the recovery efforts were aligned with the needs of the children and families affected by the hurricane.

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       Financial Overview:

       Save the Children USA’s financial health and resource allocation are key to their ability to carry out impactful programs. Here's a simplified breakdown of their financials in relation to their Hurricane Maria response:

       • Total Contributions for Hurricane Maria Response:
         Save the Children USA raised over $40 million for disaster relief efforts in Puerto Rico, which included support for both immediate relief and long-term recovery projects. These funds came from private donors, foundations, and corporate partnerships.

       • Spending Allocation (Hurricane Maria Response):

         • Emergency Relief and Distribution: Approximately 45% of the funds were allocated to emergency relief efforts, such as providing food, water, and shelter.

         • Child Protection and Education Programs: Around 35% was spent on setting up child-friendly spaces, temporary schools, and providing psychosocial support.

         • Health and Nutrition Services: 10% of the funds went toward health interventions, including medical care and nutrition support.

         • Advocacy and Policy Work: The remaining 10% focused on advocating for children's rights and ensuring that child-focused policies were part of the recovery process.

       • Fundraising and Operational Efficiency:
         Save the Children USA is committed to transparency and efficiency. They ensure that a significant portion of donations directly supports program services. For every dollar donated, 83% is spent on programmatic work, with the remaining allocated to fundraising and administration costs.

       • Sustainability:
         The organization works to ensure that its programs are sustainable by partnering with local governments, businesses, and community organizations. This ensures that even after emergency relief efforts end, local communities can continue to rebuild and thrive.
         
         
         

          Financial overview of Save the Children USA's response to Hurricane Maria in table format for clarity:

         Category	Percentage of Funds Allocated	Description
         Total Contributions Raised	$40 million+	Total funds raised for the Puerto Rico Hurricane Maria response.
         Emergency Relief and Distribution	45%	Funds spent on immediate relief (food, water, hygiene kits, shelter).
         Child Protection and Education	35%	Funds spent on child-friendly spaces, temporary schools, and psychosocial support.
         Health and Nutrition Services	10%	Funds allocated for medical care, vaccination, and nutrition support to children and families.
         Advocacy and Policy Work	10%	Funds used for policy advocacy to ensure children’s needs are prioritized in recovery efforts.
         Operational and Fundraising Costs	17% (Admin &           Fundraising)	Funds used for administrative expenses and fundraising efforts.
         Program Services Efficiency	83%	Percentage of donations directly supporting programmatic work, ensuring high impact on the ground.

         Conclusion:

         Save the Children USA's response to Hurricane Maria serves as a strong example of their ability to mobilize quickly in a crisis and provide both immediate relief and long-term recovery. With a well-defined mission, clear strategic goals, and an efficient use of resources, Save the Children USA continues to help children and families in Puerto Rico and around the world recover from disasters, ensuring a better future for children everywhere.