CNN features Gillian Yeoh, lead program officer for disaster grantmaking at Give2Asia on How to aim relief dollars where they're needed in Haiti. Gillian points out the three phases of disaster response and how understanding these phases is important for donors. Knowing them will help donors decide when and how they can assist. The phases include immediate relief, short-term recovery and long-term recover. The full characteristics of each phase are described in the article.
Based upon her experiences, she recommends the following guidelines for donors:
1. Donate wisely. Specifically for institutional and corporate donors, it is important to think about the timing of your support. For instance, if it will take you four months to make a donation, you may wish to give to short-term or long-term recovery instead of relief operations.
If you are not familiar with the region or are not sure where to direct funds, contact organizations that have expertise or presence in that country to learn about the groups that are on the front lines of relief and recovery efforts. For example, the Resource Foundation is a U.S.-based charity responding to the disaster in Haiti; it also supports local groups across Latin America.
Such reliable groups can help identify proven and responsible organizations within the country. In some cases, there are large, politically connected organizations operating within an affected country, and giving to these local groups simply because of their size does not necessarily mean you've given to an organization that will use the donation responsibly.
2. Be flexible and mindful. Nonprofit organizations are fighting against time to implement relief and short-term recovery efforts. Encourage accountability, but give the organization space to use the funds as needed in a rapidly changing environment. If you are making a sizeable donation, this is not the best time to ask an organization to develop a program specifically for you or to request special meetings or site visits.
3. Avoid in-kind donations. Although in-kind gifts (non-monetary donations such as blankets, clothes and food) are very generous gestures, donors should avoid making in-kind donations for international relief, because transportation and distribution are very expensive and time-consuming. In-kind donations may not match the real needs of survivors. For example, they may be inappropriate from a cultural, climate or religious perspective. Providing cash to local groups for purchasing relief supplies locally may also help support the local economy, contributing to the recovery process.
4. Support programs that involve the survivors. Their participation is vital to ensuring that assistance addresses the diverse needs within the community. This is important because, all too often, resources have gone toward wasteful and inappropriate projects. For instance, after the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, some foreign organizations rushed in and built houses for fishing communities. However, the houses were built too far inland, and it was inconvenient for the fishermen to travel to the ocean daily. As a result, many of these houses remain abandoned.
Engaging local stakeholders lays the foundation for continued recovery and development in the community. For example, several years ago, community action in response to flooding in the Philippines resulted in the formation of the Visayan Forum Foundation, which has won international awards for its work fighting human trafficking.
5. Consider supporting long-term recovery. Although the majority of donations for a disaster typically go to short-term assistance, affected communities need support for multiple years. Sustained involvement helps them rebuild the lives they had before the disaster so that they do not become reliant on handouts. Long-term recovery also offers an opportunity to rebuild safer, healthier and more sustainable communities. For instance, in the aftermath of the 2008 China earthquake, ongoing programs by Global Village of Beijing are providing survivors with the skills to build environmentally friendly and earthquake resistant homes.
Photo courtesy of UNDP
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