FAIRFIELD, CT--(Marketwire - March 25, 2011) - Foundation Source, the nation's leading provider of support services for private foundations, today announced that Broadcom Foundation, a benefit corporation that works to advance education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics ("STEM"), will provide a $50,000 grant to International Medical Corps to support local relief efforts in Japan. Broadcom and International Medical Corps were introduced through a recently launched online philanthropy network, Foundation Source Access ("Access").
In keeping with Broadcom Foundation's technology and communications interests, the grant will provide satellite phones and walkie talkies to NGOs and Japanese government officials working in rural Japanese communities north of Sendai, the country's largest city to take a direct hit from the earthquake and tsunami two weeks ago.
"Natural disasters like the recent earthquake and tsunami in Japan can easily isolate vulnerable populations, so when we were evaluating which relief organization to assist, we wanted to find a cause that would provide a means for people to reconnect with their families," said Paula Golden, executive director of Broadcom Foundation. "We located the Japan Earthquake Crisis cause page on Foundation Source Access and immediately found International Medical Corps's project for the distribution of satellite phones and walkie talkies to aid workers and local organizations on the ground. But for Access, we would not have found this partner, nor would we have achieved our goal with a timely sense of urgency."
Access connects nonprofits like International Medical Corps with Foundation Source's nearly 1000 private foundation clients, helping them raise funds easily and cost-effectively by bypassing the expensive and time-consuming grant writing process. Private foundations use Access to easily identify projects based on their field of work, geographic region, financial need and, as in the case of IMC, whether they directly address major humanitarian needs.
International Medical Corps immediately deployed an emergency response team to Sendai to fill critical gaps and deliver supplies within days of the earthquake and tsunami. The team continues to survey devastated coastal communities that have not yet been reached and has identified the acute need for telecommunication services.
"We are tremendously grateful to Broadcom Foundation for its swift and timely generous support," said Nancy A. Aossey, President and CEO of International Medical Corps. "The earthquake and tsunami have destroyed existing telecom infrastructure while hundreds of thousands of people are living in temporary shelters with no way to locate family members and friends. This grant enables us to provide vital communication tools for relief workers and reconnect families, which is an invaluable gift." The funds from Broadcom Foundation will provide satellite phones and walkie talkies to help facilitate communication between crisis victims who have so far been unable to contact their family members and friends. Local authorities will also use the new phones to communicate with officials in Tokyo and other parts of the country for further on-the-ground efforts to stabilize hard-hit areas north of Sendai.
"We are thrilled that our new service was able to facilitate this timely grant," said Andrew Bangser, President of Foundation Source. "It is very satisfying to have helped funder and grantee discover their aligned interests, and we hope that Access becomes a resource for many more areas of urgent need in this and other crises."
About Foundation Source
Foundation Source is the nation's leading provider of support services for private foundations, serving nearly 1,000 private foundations coast-to-coast with total endowments exceeding $4 billion. Foundation Source Access was recently launched to lower the cost of fundraising by making it easier for donors and recipients to discover their shared interests.
About Broadcom Foundation
Broadcom Foundation is a private non-profit public benefit corporation exempt from federal income tax under Internal Revenue Code section 501(c)(3). The Foundation's mission is to advance education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), by funding research, recognizing scholarship and increasing opportunity. Learn more at www.broadcomfoundation.org.
Broadcom Corporation is a FORTUNE 500® company and a prominent technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. It is one of the world's largest fabless communications semiconductor companies with 2010 revenue of $6.82 billion and one of the broadest intellectual property portfolios addressing both wired and wireless transmission of voice, video and data. Broadcom provides the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art, system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices. These solutions support its core mission: Connecting everything®. Learn more at www.broadcom.com.
About International Medical Corps
Since its inception 27 years ago, International Medical Corps' mission has been consistent: relieve the suffering of those impacted by war, natural disaster and disease, by delivering vital health care services that focus on training. This approach of helping people help themselves is critical to returning devastated populations to self-reliance. For more information visit: www.InternationalMedicalCorps.org. Visit us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter.
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