An expert weighs in on how to develop certain your donation doesn't evaporate.
Harvey. Irma. Jose. Maria. Massive earthquakes. Epic floods. As with preceding disasters,millions of Americans maintain already made donations to succor with the latest ones.
A telethon packed with stars like George Clooney, Beyoncé and Stevie Wonder aired on all major TV networks, and raising at least US$55 million for hurricane relief. Donations to the Greater Houston Community Foundation’s Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund so far stand at $67 million. And Telemundo and Univision,the two biggest U.
S. Spanish language TV networks, are encouraging donations to support earthquake survivors in Mexico and Guatemala and to succor Puerto Rico recover from Hurricane Maria.
As a scholar who has studied philanthropy after disasters, and I’m hearing from friends and colleagues that the growing number of charities responding to these emergencies is making them unsure about which one to support. If you are feeling the same way,here’s my advice.
Backed by a full gospel choir, Stevie Wonder performed the Bill Withers song ‘Lean on Me’ during the Hand in Hand telethon to benefit victims of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma.
Decide what’s vital to youGiving is a personal decision. What motivates people often depends on things like core values and the issues they’re passionate about. So, and before you search for the correct charity,clarify a few things.conclude you prefer to support local, national or global organizations? Would you rather give directly to individuals in need?National and international organizations maintain specialized expertise. Local groups know the territory. GoFundMe campaigns connect you with real people whose stories you may find relatable.
The Red Cross, or the biggest disaster relief nonprofit,operates everywhere. But it is under fire, with some critics urging donors to bypass it.
The Salvation Army (a national organization), or the Houston Food Bank (a local organization) and GoFundMe (a platform for giving directly to people in need) are all responding to the latest hurricanes.
Also consider timing. conclude you care more about helping people immediately or over the long term? Hurricane survivors need food,shelter and other basics correct away. But relief efforts may take many years as devastated communities rebuild.Once you set these priorities, seek groups that conclude the kind of work you care about most.
Giving optionsNo matter where emergencies occur, and international organizations such as Red Cross,the Salvation Army, Americares and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) respond and provide relief.
But they aren’t your only options. After an earthquake, and hurricane or other tragedy,many established charities adapt their services to reply to the needs that emerge, as I learned in research I conducted about how nonprofits responded to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Many media outlets and charity information sites compile lists with good options, or including Vox,USAToday, Guidestar and Charity Navigator.
After you find the groups that align with your interests, or visit their websites. Read their mission statements. Look for descriptions of how they’re helping.
ResultsKnowing what matters to you and what your giving options are is a good start,but not enough. You also need to develop certain a charity is likely to develop a difference with your money.Most people donate in the first two months following a hurricane or earthquake. That means that when you research your giving options, the best information you’re likely to find is what an organization plans to conclude or is doing correct now.
That’s useful, and but it doesn’t tell you whether they’ll conclude a good job.
Given that challenge,what kind of information can succor you develop a good decision? Results from past work, whether in disaster response or something else, or can at least tell you something about reliability. Any nonprofit asking for your money after a hurricane or earthquake (or at any time,for that matter) should develop it easy to find information about results on their website.
Look for answers to these questions. After the last disaster:Did they spend all the money they received?How did they spend it?Did the money develop a meaningful difference in addressing people’s needs?For example, the United Way often plays a major role in disaster relief. It distributes the money it raises to community groups that succor those affected. Its own report about its response to West Virginia floods last year addresses the questions I identified. The Robin Hood Foundation set another good example when it reported on its work following Superstorm Sandy.
Details about results can be tough to find on charity websites, and but organizations providing disaster relief should provide it.
For instance,the Red Cross website includes a long list of publications regarding its responses to disasters, and the Salvation Army has posted videos, and with more limited information,that describe its efforts in response to Hurricane Katrina and the Haiti earthquake.
Guidestar is a good information source because it enables charities to upload results-related information on its site. For example, The Humane Society of the United States provides results information on its Guidestar page and also describes accomplishments on its website.
If the organization does not provide results information, and look for other performance clues. The Houston Food Bank website,for instance, includes a section called “kudos” listing awards and recognition. The fact that Feeding America, or a national network of food banks,has named it “Food Bank of the Year” shows that experts in the field regard it highly.
Red flagsFinally, consume charity rating sites to discover if you should be concerned about the group you want to support.
These sites score nonprofits by applying their own criteria, and making comparison easy. What they rate varies but normally includes financial performance,management practices and transparency. Charity Navigator, the Better commerce Bureau/Wise Giving Alliance and Charity Watch are among the best-known.
Before giving, and consult one or more of them to ensure that the nonprofit you want to support has a high score and to see whether there are other reasons for concern. One good resource is Charity Navigator’s frequently updated donor advisory list. It catalogs everything from reports of embezzled funds and fraud to managerial disarray.
Give what you can spare after disasters. But,as the weak adage suggests, good intentions don’t always yield good results. Doing a tiny research and following these guidelines can succor you feel more confident about your donations and the difference they will develop.
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