History Has Its Eyes On You: Fundraising for Hurricane Maria Relief

If you're friends with me, then you likely know that I am OBSESSED with Lin-Manuel Miranda.

Not only is he the lyrical and musical genius behind "Hamilton," "In The Heights," and Disney's "Moana," but he's also incredibly active in raising awareness for a plethora of issues. While his Tony acceptance speech is notable for his deep-seated devotion to fighting for the LGBTQIA+ community, I'd like to focus on his most recent charitable venture, Hurricane Maria Relief.

Hurricane Maria left Puerto Rico in absolute devastation. It's been estimated that Puerto Ricans are going to be without electricity for the next 4-6 months. Families have been separated. Entire livelihoods have been destroyed.

But where there's distress, there's always a helping hand to be found.

The Hispanic Federation and Coalition of Community Organizations and Elected Officials created Unidos, a nonprofit dedicated to Hurricane Maria relief. Their efforts have been nothing short of incredible. Their volunteers have helped provide immediate resources to those afflicted by the hurricane. It is their aim to do what they can to help Puerto Rico recover from the estimated $1 billion in damages it sustained.

Then, Lin-Manuel Miranda's new hit song, "Almost Like Praying" came out.

You thought I wouldn't be able to tie this back to Lin-Manuel Miranda, didn't you?

Ok Lin, ok.

He created the song, "Almost Like Praying" and utilised many Latinx celebrities in the track including Gloria Estefan, Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony, Camila Cabello, and more.

This. Was. Genius.

Celebrity endorsements have always been an effective method of which for-profits and nonprofits take advantage. What's incredible about this particular instance is a.) that they connected themselves with one of the most relevant Broadway entertainers of the past few years and b.) it's a song. An easily consumable, inexpensive song that people can take with them wherever they go.

Having this easy access to a message about generosity has staying power that can last weeks. It is all too common for humanitarian crises usually gain traction quickly and then slowly get lost from the public consciousness due to the news moving on to what's "fresh." The constant airplay of this song sends a message, from their earbuds to their hearts, the importance of contributing to hurricane relief.

This song represents everything that is right with current nonprofit fundraising. Relevance and a purpose that everyone can get behind. So download it today and remember, the actions we take will leave behind our legacy.