Money managers and institutional investors are rallying to raise money for relief efforts in Haiti, devastated by Tuesday’s 7.0-magnitude earthquake.
A Leg To Stand On, a charity supported by the hedge fund industry that aims to provide artificial limbs for children in impoverished areas of the world, sent out a call to money managers to help in its relief effort and already has raised roughly $300,000. Mead Welles, co-founder of the group and CEO of Octagon Asset Management, said the organization already is working with a team to assess the logistics of operating in the city to provide surgical treatments for those injured.
“Once we determine our funding requirements and supply needs, then we’ll have an additional campaign to raise capital resources,” Mr. Welles said in an interview.
Contributions can be made to A Leg To Stand On at the charity’s website, http://www.altso.org.
BMO Financial Group donated $250,000 this week to the Red Cross in Haiti.
“The devastation in Haiti is massive, and all of us at BMO are deeply saddened by the news,” William Doyne, BMO Financial Group president and CEO, said in a news release. “The Red Cross is appealing to everyone who can to support this emergency operation, and we are trying to help facilitate donations.”
Jefferies & Co. is donating net commissions and volunteered salaries from Jan. 15, plus $1 million, for relief efforts to be split among the Red Cross, UNICEF, Save the Children and the U.N. Central Emergency Response Fund.
“All of us at Jefferies have been deeply affected by the tragic losses caused by this devastating earthquake in Haiti,” Richard B. Handler, Jefferies chairman and CEO, said in a news release.
