All Hands and Hearts Smart Response

All Hands and Hearts Smart Response aims to ease the immediate impact of natural disasters such as hurricanes, earthquakes, and fires—and aid in long-term recovery efforts. By swiftly identifying community resources and engaging with local volunteers, it is able to mobilize critical support at times when every minute counts. When COVID-19 forced the organization to temporarily halt some projects, it quickly pivoted to change safety protocols for its volunteers. Those who sign up commit for 12 weeks of work and receive a small stipend.

Active projects include helping families in Louisiana, Texas, and the Bahamas rebuild homes in the wake of recent hurricanes. All Hands and Hearts additionally constructs disaster-resilient schools and community centers so that residents are better prepared for storms. The organization is also addressing the COVID-19 pandemic in Los Angeles by partnering with Sean Penn’s CORE and the Los Angeles Regional Food Bank. The weekly goal is to administer 20,000 COVID tests, assemble 50,000 emergency meal kits, and provide 55,000 meals.

All Hands And Hearts Smart Response, which consistently ranks among the world’s highest-rated charities, spends 96 cents of every donated dollar on relief programs. —Jennifer Leach English 

BJT readers—who represent one of the highest-net-worth magazine audiences anywhere—clearly have the means to contribute to a better world. To help you do that, we spotlight deserving organizations in every issue. All of them have received a four-star overall rating from Charity Navigator (charitynavigator.com), which evaluates philanthropic institutions based on their finances, accountability, and transparency.