GE Foundation announces grant to support flood relief efforts in South Africa

To mark Mandela Day and highlight the plight of food security, the GE Foundation announced a donation of US$100,000 to support relief efforts in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal region, where nearly 125,000 civilians have been displaced following disastrous flooding due to heavy rainfall sustained in April. The donation funded FoodForward SA, the largest food redistribution organization in South Africa, and provided an estimated 4,800 people in the flood zones with one meal per day for three weeks. In addition to the organization’s donation, GE employees can support relief efforts through the Matching Gifts Program.

“We are proud to once again work with FoodForward SA and help South African families in the region continue the road to recovery,” said Linda Boff, President, GE Foundation, and Vice President, GE.

“South Africa hosts GE’s largest employee base on the continent and has become a key partner in GE Foundation programs such as Next Engineers. Addressing hunger is critical in the wake of the recent flooding and I’m proud that the GE family is supporting our country in this time of need,” said Nyimpini Mabunda, President of GE Southern Africa. “FoodForward SA’s mission is to reduce hunger in South Africa by safely and cost-effectively securing quality food, and this grant funding will support the food procurement efforts and preparation needed for the impacted area.”

GE employees who make eligible donations to FoodForward SA or other participating charities can register for a match with the GE Foundation’s Matching Gifts program, which supports employees’ personal philanthropy and charitable giving by providing a 1:1 match. The GE Foundation created the concept of a corporate matching gift program in 1954. Today, the program continues to serve as an important element of the Foundation’s portfolio, with gifts matched in 2021 totaling $6.2 million.