Hope for Haiti founder JoAnne Kuehner dies, leaves 'legacy of hope'
The Naples-based philanthropist built the nonprofit from one student's tuition into a leading organization serving southern Haiti over 37 years.
Hope for Haiti announced the death of its founder, JoAnne M. Kuehner, in a statement released November 12, 2026, according to Newswire.com and the Naples Daily News (naplesnews.com). The Naples, Florida-based organization described Kuehner as a visionary philanthropist whose work spanned more than 37 years.
According to the organization, Kuehner's commitment to Haiti began in 1989 during her first visit, when a young girl asked her to help pay school tuition. Her decision to say yes became the foundation of Hope for Haiti, which grew from supporting a single student into a nonprofit providing education, healthcare, clean water and economic opportunity in southern Haiti.
The organization says it now supports thousands of students and provides tens of thousands of medical consultations annually. CEO Skyler Badenoch said Kuehner "was much more than the founder," calling her "an inspiration, a friend." Board Chair Dr. Vladimir J. Mathieu said her greatest legacy was "the people she inspired and the values she instilled."
Hope for Haiti, a 4-star Charity Navigator-rated nonprofit, said it plans to develop a new Healthcare and Disaster Preparedness Campus in Les Cayes. The organization extended condolences to Kuehner's family, describing her as a wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.