TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTABILITY
Committed to Transparency and Accountability
The Sapelo Strong coalition is dedicated to ensuring that every dollar donated and every hour volunteered directly supports the families and communities of Sapelo Island. Here’s how we make sure your contributions make an impact.
How Your Donations Are Used
Every donation to Sapelo Strong is put to work supporting families and helping the community recover. Here’s a breakdown of how we allocate funds to ensure maximum impact.
Immediate Financial Relief:
We prioritize funeral expenses, medical bills, and essential expenses for families. These are immediate needs that we address as quickly as possible.
Counseling and Mental Health Support:
A portion of donations goes toward providing free counseling and emotional support services, beyond the capacities of our partnerships with local organizations like Coastal Community Health and Gateway Community Service Board.Community Rebuilding:
We allocate funds to long-term rebuilding projects, helping to restore essential needs of the Gullah Geechee community.Cultural Preservation:
As part of our long-term efforts, we ensure that the Gullah Geechee cultural heritage is protected and preserved, with a focus on keeping Sapelo Island’s history alive.
Immediate Financial Relief
We provide assistance for funeral expenses, medical bills, and essential expenses for families directly affected by tragedy. These are immediate needs that we address as quickly as possible to alleviate the financial burden on grieving families.
Counseling and Mental Health Support
A portion of donations is dedicated to providing free counseling and emotional support services. This is crucial in situations where there is a widespread request from the community.
Community Rebuilding
We allocate funds to long-term rebuilding projects aimed at restoring the essential needs of the Gullah Geechee community. This includes infrastructure repair and support for local organizations to help the community recover and thrive.
Cultural Preservation
As part of our long-term efforts, we ensure that the Gullah Geechee cultural heritage is protected and preserved. This includes initiatives focused on keeping Sapelo Island’s history alive, promoting cultural education, and supporting local artists and traditions.
Sapelo Strong is a coalition of five organizations united to support the Sapelo Island community. The coalition—comprising the Allen Bailey Foundation, The Sapelo Project, Hog Hammock Community Foundation, Sapelo Island Cultural and Revitalization Society (SICARS), and Save Our Legacy Ourself—is committed to addressing the immediate needs of the community in times of great need, while also focusing on long-term healing and recovery.
We are here to provide financial aid, mental health services, and ongoing support to the victims, families, and everyone in our community.
Our Story: Strength in Unity
On what was meant to be a day of celebration for Sapelo Island, tragedy struck at Marsh Landing. The gangway collapse took lives, left families grieving, and caused immeasurable pain to our close-knit community. In the wake of this event, leaders and local organizations came together to form Sapelo Strong—a coalition dedicated to supporting the immediate and long-term needs of those affected by the tragedy.
What started as a call to provide relief has now evolved into a larger mission: to ensure that the people of Sapelo Island have the resources they need to heal, rebuild, and preserve the cultural heritage of the Gullah Geechee people.
Our Commitment to Accountability
Sapelo Strong is committed to keeping the community informed.
Regular Community Meetings:
We believe in engaging directly with the community. Please keep in touch by visiting our website and attending our community meetings. We will update the community on our progress, listen to feedback, and ensure that everyone’s voice is heard.
External Audits:
To ensure full accountability, we will undergo regular third-party audits to verify that funds are being distributed appropriately and in accordance with our mission.
How We Ensure Accountability
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We have a dedicated team of financial experts, including a Business Operations Manager, who oversee all donations and ensure they are distributed according to our mission. Each expense is carefully reviewed and tracked.
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All major funding decisions are made collaboratively by the Sapelo Strong coalition, ensuring that no single organization controls the allocation of resources. This prevents conflicts of interest and guarantees that the community’s needs come first. In times of crisis, an organization is designated to facilitate decision-making.
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We actively seek feedback from the community to understand their needs and concerns. This allows us to adapt our efforts and ensure we are always responding to the most urgent priorities.
FAQs
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We are fully committed to transparency. We will undergo third-party audits to ensure all donations are used for their intended purpose.
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Yes! We will provide detailed breakdowns of how donations are allocated, and you will be able to request our latest financial reports directly on our website.
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All decisions regarding fund allocation are made collaboratively by the Sapelo Strong coalition, with input from local leaders and community members.
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We will provide regular updates through community meetings, our website, and social media channels. You can also sign up for our newsletter to stay informed about the latest developments.