Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS announced a total of $400,000 in emergency grants to four organizations providing on-the-ground support in Israel to civilians affected by trauma, assault and mental health emergencies, as part of the organization’s 25-year tradition of providing humanitarian support in times of crisis.

These emergency grants follow $400,000 awarded earlier to Doctors of the World and the International Rescue Committee, which are providing medical care and emergency assistance to civilians in Gaza. They continue Broadway Cares’ history of action in the wake of natural disasters, including hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes and wildfires; national crises, like the Black Lives Matter Movement, and the Pulse nightclub shooting; international conflict, such as the war in Ukraine; and other humanitarian catastrophes.

These humanitarian grants of $100,000 each, approved unanimously by the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Board of Trustees’ Executive Committee, were sent to:

• NATAL: Israel Trauma and Resiliency Center, an apolitical organization that specializes in the field of war- and terror-related trauma offering crisis intervention, long-term care, community outreach and clinical treatment
• Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which aims to bring home all those being held hostage by Hamas and provides their families holistic medical and emotional support as well as professional assistance
• AARCI, an umbrella organization that represents nine sexual assault crisis centers across Israel offering an emergency hotline, support groups and legal assistance to victims of sexual assault
• ERAN, Israel’s mental health hotline providing emotional first aid services and psychological support, while maintaining strict confidentiality

“These organizations are doing critical work supporting civilians in Israel suffering from trauma, both mentally and physically,” Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Executive Director Tom Viola said. “In conjunction with our recent grants helping civilians facing devastation and inconceivable loss in Gaza, we’re proud to offer humanitarian aid that doesn’t follow a political agenda, but rather provides vital resources and support to innocent civilians in the midst of devastating conflict.”

The emergency humanitarian grants are part of Broadway Cares’ annual grant-making, which last year hit $17.2 million, including $7.6 million to the Entertainment Community Fund (formerly The Actors Fund) and $9.1 million through our National Grants Program to provide meals and medication, health care and hope to those in need in all 50 states, Puerto Rico and Washington, DC.