GLOBAL EMPOWERMENT MISSION INC
Disrupting disaster response and providing for sustainable development
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
GEM’s aim is to provide grassroots efforts with a large institutional impact for the most vulnerable populations affected by natural disasters around the world. GEM is dedicated to restoring hope and opportunity in the lives of those most affected by natural disasters. The organization works as a first responder for disaster relief, bridges the gap between first response and sustainable development, and implements practices to ensure sustainable development. In addition to the three planned phases, GEM operates year-round programming that focuses on school and home reconstruction, education and empowerment, and environmental and health programs. The program goals are to bring people back to normalcy and elevate communities beyond the cycle of disaster response. The outcome of these programs are to provide long-term redevelopment, which mitigates the psychosocial impact of displacement.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Education & Empowerment
GEM provides full education and scholarship for 50 students in Jacmel, Haiti. The students attend various private schools such as Ecole Baptiste De Saint Cyr (Kindergarten and Primary), Ecole Baptiste De Saint Cyr (Hosanna College) and Ecole Chretienne Evangelique De Lauture (Primary and Middle School) in Jacmel, Haiti. GEM provides all transportation, school supplies, uniforms, school meal plans as well as tutoring programs and computer training during the summer as well. In addition, GEM has also provided vocational training for these students parents.
Education Program
GEM funds the full education of 37 children at Ecole Baptiste De Saint Cyr (Kindergarten and Primary), Ecole Baptiste De Saint Cyr (Hosanna College) and Ecole Chretienne Evangelique De Lauture (Primary and Middle School) in Jacmel, Haiti. HEM also provides all transportation, school supplies, uniforms, school meal plans as well as tutoring programs and computer training during the summer. In addition, HEM has also provided vocational training for these students parents.
Emergency Relief
GEM responds in three distinct phases following a natural disaster.
First Response Phase- Disaster Relief
(Immediate response to global disasters and civic emergencies. Goal is to restore hope and opportunity in the lives of those most affected.)
Reconnaissance and assessment
Search, rescue, and loss mitigation
Identify and form strategic partnerships
Second Response Phase- The Gap Period
(Time between first response and government or other permanent infrastructure. Goal to minimize the time in which this gap period exists.)
Temporary housing and shelter
Establish criteria, beneficiary identification and distribution of vital funds
Stabilization efforts and sustenance supplies
Third Response Phase - Sustainable Development
(Long Term response in coordination with governments and public private partners. Goal to create a self sufficient and thriving community.)
Permanent and durable housing and infrastructure
Facilitator of economic and educational programs
Implementing empowerment and livelihood programs
Distribution of Vital Necessities
The organization has created a distribution program which offers and includes food, water, water filters, clothing, shoes, hygiene products, security lights, special necessities for infants and toddlers, mattresses, bedding etc. Individuals participating in the programs must meet poverty guidelines and be committed to contributing to make their children's lives better.
Hurricane Relief
Global Empowerment Mission (GEM) is managing 3 warehouses, where supplies that have been donated from all over the United States are being sorted, crated and flown overseas to the most hard-hit areas. Our combined efforts have resulted in over 40 planes sent to Puerto Rico with millions in aid. We sent a large ship with hundreds of containers to Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands and Dominca.
Since September 2022, GEM has been responding to the great need in the Ft. Myers community after Hurricane Ian. We have a hub serving Lee and Collier Counties.
This is ongoing relief work and we appreciate your support.
Earthquake
Puerto Rico Earthquake. GEM #bstrong and our Puerto Rico ground partner, Yo No Me Quito, was on the ground within 48 hours of the January 7, 2020 earthquake. Distributed $20,000 in strong cash cards to earthquake survivors in shelters in the towns of Ponce, Yauco, Guanayilla, Guanica and Penuelas. In addition to providing generators to the elderly and sending containers of aid.
Wild Fires
GEM has responded to wildfires in California, Oregon, Amazon and Australia. GEM was on the ground within days of these wild fires assessing needs of victims and fire fighting agencies as well as animal shelters and communities. GEM visited shelters to distribute cash cards to evacuees and fire survivors. Provided fire gear and necessary support to fire departments for long-term efforts. In the Amazon GEM supplies fire fighters gear for 700 volunteer fire fighters. In California GEM provided emergency response as well as long term programs of assisting the victims that had lost their homes a housing or relocation grant in addition to a tool gift program to get victims back to work through our “Get Back to Work” grant program. GEM received grants of over $300,000.00 from agencies so that GEM could facilitate the cash card distribution programs and relocation programs.
Bahamas Rebuild
Post Hurricane Dorian GEM has focuses on the outer islands of Moores and Abaco and is assisting with the repairs and rebuilding of over 500 homes and 3 schools. 15 barge shipments to 3 Abaco Islands totaling over 3.5 million lbs of aid and building supplies have been delivered. GEM evacuated 859 people from the disaster zone. GEM has a long term committed to stabilizing these communities by repairing homes, reopening schools and repairing businesses. I addition GEM has created a Adopt a Fisherman program that aids these person to receive fishing gear and crab/lobster traps so their business can reactivate and provide independence. GEM has also donated over 20 fishing boats to these communities, as well as repairing local businesses and restaurants.
Smart Class
In 2022, GEM, in partnership with SmartAID, LHI, and MWCF, created an education initiative and network to support Ukrainian students in Poland, Romania, Moldova, and beyond. With an influx of hundreds of thousands of new students under refugee status, schools and families are facing multiple difficulties. In response to this, the Smart Class program was created.
Smart Classes are Ukrainian-taught classrooms, which will be fully supplied with everything students need to continue their education from a new location. Each Smart Class can serve 45 students, and will be tailored to the specific venue, which can range from existing school classrooms to refugee shelters. Every class is equipped with laptops, projectors, tablets, speakers, headphones, and interactive boards to allow for an effective, safe, and stable learning environment for students.
Kahramanmaras Earthquake
A massive 7.8 magnitude earthquake hit Southern Turkey and Syria early February 6th. Thousands are expected to have lost their lives, with countless more injured. Entire buildings collapsed and flattened, leaving hundreds of thousands displaced outside in the snow and cold. This is the most powerful earthquake to hit Turkey since 1939. Because of GEM Europe’s propositioning for European disasters, our team was able to deploy immediately the same morning.
Our Headquarters in Doral will be collecting supplies from counties all throughout South Florida for the next 60 days. These supplies will be shipped via Turkish airlines and brought directly into the areas of need by Turkey’s disaster agency AFAD. We want the thank the Turkish Embassy and the Consul General of Miami. GEM’s proven model of efficiency is based on smart partnerships.
Where we work
External reviews

Videos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of groups/individuals benefiting from tools/resources/education materials provided
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Related Program
Distribution of Vital Necessities
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Increasing
Number of people within the organization's service area accessing food aid
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Context Notes
Hurricane Ian recipients in Florida
Goals & Strategy
Reports and documents
Download strategic planLearn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
High-impact events such as earthquakes and tsunamis are not preventable, but such high losses of human life are. We know from historical data that the world has seen a significant reduction in disaster deaths through earlier prediction, more resilient infrastructure, emergency preparedness, and response systems.
Those at low incomes are often the most vulnerable to disaster events: improving living standards, infrastructure and response systems in these regions will be key to preventing deaths from natural disasters in the coming decades.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
GEM leverages social media influencers, public-private partnerships and the general public to uplift the most vulnerable individuals and communities in three key phases following natural disasters.
FIRST RESPONSE PHASE - DISASTER RELIEF:
In times of crisis, GEM leads groups of emergency first responder’s firefighters, doctors and nurses to hard-hit areas.
Our work in this phase consists of:
a) Reconnaissance and assessment
b) Search, rescue, and loss mitigation
c) Identify and form strategic partnerships
SECOND RESPONSE PHASE - THE GAP PERIOD
Time between first response and government or other permanent infrastructure.
Our work in this phase consists of:
a) Temporary housing and shelter
b) Establish criteria, beneficiary identification and distribution of vital
funds
c) Stabilization efforts and sustenance supplies
THIRD RESPONSE PHASE - SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
Long Term response in coordination with governments and public private partners.
Our work in this phase consists of:
a) Permanent and durable housing and infrastructure
b) Facilitator of economic and educational programs
c) Implementing empowerment and livelihood programs
DONOR SPECIFIC FUNDS & STRATEGIC PARTNERS
One differentiating factor is donor specific funds with customizable outcomes. Within the architecture of the organization, there are strategic partnerships with its own set of initiatives and goals powered by GEM.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
For more than a decade GEM has been responding to natural disaster in all three phases, first response, temporary relief and sustainable development. Each of the GEM team members has a unique and special talent that, when taken collectively, creates an ability to mobile substantial amounts of aid quickly and effectively.
The skills and contacts I gained while promoting the most popular nightlife venues in south Florida combined my experience in construction and disaster response positions GEM to execute its mission and solve the short and long-term problem/s experienced by those most affected by natural disasters.
The GEM team has shown over the past decade that its response to global disasters is unparalleled in its efficiency and effectiveness. Most recently with our response to the devasting hurricane in the Bahamas and the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic in the United States, GEM has brought together strategic public-private partners, utilized its social media platform and leveraged its significant list of public influencers. Some results of recent disaster response includer:
• 2 million items of PPE to first responders and frontline workers
• $65 million of supplies delivered
• All 50 states serviced
• 122 containers of aid shipped
• 256 homes being repaired or rebuilt in the Bahamas
• 859 emergency evacuations
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
GEM is currently serving hundreds of thousands beneficiaries and is positioned to provide a deeper response to its beneficiaries with its sustainable development programming. While it is challenging to forecast future disasters and thereby measure the number of beneficiaries one and five years out, GEM is committed to providing the same response to future disasters as it has over the past decade. Importantly, our phase 3 response completes the circle of disaster response and lessens the dependency on foreign aid.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve, To understand people's needs and how we can help them achieve their goals
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
We collect feedback from the people we serve at least annually, We take steps to get feedback from marginalized or under-represented people, We aim to collect feedback from as many people we serve as possible, We take steps to ensure people feel comfortable being honest with us, We look for patterns in feedback based on demographics (e.g., race, age, gender, etc.), We look for patterns in feedback based on people’s interactions with us (e.g., site, frequency of service, etc.), We engage the people who provide feedback in looking for ways we can improve in response, We act on the feedback we receive, We tell the people who gave us feedback how we acted on their feedback, We ask the people who gave us feedback how well they think we responded
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
It is difficult to find the ongoing funding to support feedback collection
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
GLOBAL EMPOWERMENT MISSION INC
Board of directorsas of 02/08/2023
Reid Boren
Two Roads
Term: 2020 - 2022
Felicia Marquez
Global Empowerment Mission
Violet Camacho
Global Empowerment Mission
Andres Fanjul
Global Empowerment Mission
Dr. Jay H Parker
Global Empowerment Mission
William H Dean
Global Empowerment Mission
Reid Boren
Global Empowerment Mission
Omar Rosario
Global Empowerment Mission
Michael Capponi
Global Empowerment Mission
Zoe Nouet Robins
Global Empowerment Mission
Michelle Boren
Global Empowerment Mission
Rosy Levy
Global Empowerment Mission
Francine Delarosa
Global Empowerment Mission
India Hicks
Global Empowerment Mission
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
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Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? Yes -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? Yes -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? Yes -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data
Equity strategies
Last updated: 10/27/2020GuideStar partnered with Equity in the Center - an organization that works to shift mindsets, practices, and systems to increase racial equity - to create this section. Learn more
- We review compensation data across the organization (and by staff levels) to identify disparities by race.
- We ask team members to identify racial disparities in their programs and / or portfolios.
- We analyze disaggregated data and root causes of race disparities that impact the organization's programs, portfolios, and the populations served.
- We disaggregate data to adjust programming goals to keep pace with changing needs of the communities we support.
- We employ non-traditional ways of gathering feedback on programs and trainings, which may include interviews, roundtables, and external reviews with/by community stakeholders.
- We disaggregate data by demographics, including race, in every policy and program measured.
- We have long-term strategic plans and measurable goals for creating a culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.
- We use a vetting process to identify vendors and partners that share our commitment to race equity.
- We have a promotion process that anticipates and mitigates implicit and explicit biases about people of color serving in leadership positions.
- We seek individuals from various race backgrounds for board and executive director/CEO positions within our organization.
- We have community representation at the board level, either on the board itself or through a community advisory board.
- We help senior leadership understand how to be inclusive leaders with learning approaches that emphasize reflection, iteration, and adaptability.
- We measure and then disaggregate job satisfaction and retention data by race, function, level, and/or team.
- We engage everyone, from the board to staff levels of the organization, in race equity work and ensure that individuals understand their roles in creating culture such that one’s race identity has no influence on how they fare within the organization.