How much money did the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund raise and where were those funds distributed?
Executive summary
The Clinton‑Bush Haiti Fund raised roughly $54–54.4 million in donations after the January 2010 earthquake and spent that pool of money through a mix of grants, loans and equity investments across more than 50 Haitian and international organizations and businesses; remaining program administration was transferred to the Inter‑American Development Bank’s Multilateral Investment Fund when the Fund wound down at the end of 2012 [1] [2] [3] [4].
1. How much money was raised — the headline numbers
Public accounts produced by multiple organizations and contemporaneous reporting converge on a total in the mid‑50‑million dollar range: the Fund has been reported as raising and distributing $54.4 million (many official summaries use that exact figure) and press coverage commonly rounded to $54 million [1] [2] [5] [3].
2. What forms of assistance the Fund paid for
The Clinton‑Bush Haiti Fund was explicitly a grant‑making and investment vehicle that directed donations into short‑term relief early on and then shifted toward longer‑term economic recovery, using grants, loans and equity investments to support small and medium enterprises, workforce development and job creation [6] [3] [7]. GiveWell’s contemporaneous writeup noted that of the many contributions received early on, over $4 million was disbursed for near‑term recovery assistance such as medical equipment, shelter kits and water purification supplies, while the Fund subsequently committed larger sums to programs promoting economic growth [6].
3. Where the money went — recipients and types of projects
By the time it ceased formal operations, the Fund had dispersed money to more than 50 organizations and businesses to support activities ranging from health screenings to broadband connectivity and food‑processing or agribusiness projects; specific final grants reported included Family Health Ministries ($731,130 for cervical‑cancer screening), Inveneo (about $403,656 for the Haiti Connected Cities broadband project), Instituto Dominicano de Desarrollo Integral (about $434,375 for kitchen facilities) and a $250,000 award to the Caribbean Harvest Foundation, among others [1]. Broader program descriptions show investments aimed at microfinance, small business support and job training designed to create and sustain employment in Haiti [1] [8] [7].
4. Results claimed and the Fund’s closure
The Fund and reporting outlets summarized impact in economic terms — claiming it sustained or created roughly 7,350 jobs and positively affected the lives of some 311,000 people — and announced a planned closure after spending down its resources, with operations formally ending December 31, 2012 [1] [2]. Coverage and organizational statements emphasize the Fund was never intended to be permanent and that remaining program administration and reinvestment of loan repayments were assigned to the Multilateral Investment Fund of the IDB Group [1] [4].
5. Variations, caveats and contested claims
Different actors emphasize different slices of the Fund’s activity: GiveWell highlighted early emergency distributions (noting over $4 million for immediate needs) while the Clinton Foundation materials emphasize broader Clinton‑related Haiti fundraising and point to tens of millions disbursed in relief and development through multiple Clinton entities — for example, the Clinton Foundation separately cites over $30 million raised or mobilized for Haiti projects [6] [9] [10] [11]. Reporting critical of post‑earthquake humanitarian response raises concerns about oversight and outcomes in Haiti generally, but the sources provided do not supply a comprehensive audit trace of each dollar from donor to end beneficiary; the public summaries focus on totals, recipient lists and program handoffs rather than line‑by‑line expenditure reports [12] [8].
6. What official stewardship looked like after the Fund
When the Clinton‑Bush Haiti Fund wound down, the IDB’s Multilateral Investment Fund was designated to manage unfinished projects and to receive repayments from loans so they could be reinvested into programs consistent with the Fund’s mission, signaling an institutional handoff rather than an ongoing Clinton‑led grant operation [1] [4] [7]. The available sources document the totals raised and named grant recipients but do not provide a full public ledger in these snippets; therefore, precise line‑item accounting beyond the cited totals and named grants is not detailed in the materials provided [1] [3].