ALPHA School of Music, Christel House Jamaica, Jamaica Cancer Society – Ride for Life, Mustard Seed Communities, and Eve for Life, are among several Jamaican entities to receive grants totalling $145 million from the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ) today.

The invitation-only ceremony will be hosted by Chargé d’Affaires Scott Renner at the United States Embassy in Kingston, Jamaica.

The AFJ’s annual grant cycle closed in February 2026, with awards supporting both new discretionary grants and ongoing commitments to long-standing partner organisations. In total, 69 grants will be presented across 65 organisations.

This year’s recipients span education, health care, and economic development, and include organisations supporting recovery efforts following Hurricane Melissa, as well as initiatives focused on long-term community development and capacity building across the island.

“This year’s group of recipients reflects both the immediate needs across Jamaica and the ongoing work to strengthen communities over time. From organisations responding to Hurricane Melissa [which hit the island last October] to those focused on long-term development, it highlights the breadth of impact taking place across the island. This ceremony gives us an opportunity to recognise and support that work,” said Caron Chung, executive director of AFJ.

The AFJ’s grant making cycle begins each November, with discretionary grant awards selected once per year.

Grants are funded through proceeds from annual fund-raising events in New York and Miami, as well as private foundations, corporate partnerships, direct donor contributions, and the AFJ online giving platform.

AFJ is a United States-based non-profit entity built on the principles of service and philanthropy.

For more than 42 years AFJ has supported initiatives in education, health care, and economic development in Jamaica.