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Volume 6
Issue 47
February 3 - 9, 2010

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How to make your gift for Haiti relief

By Mel and Pearl Shaw

Mel and Pearl Shaw What can be more important than making a gift to help relieve pain and suffering in Haiti? Where could your dollars make a more direct, immediate impact than giving to bring water, food, blankets and medical supplies and services into Haiti?

We urge you to give. To give now. And to give a month from now and six months from now. The question is, to whom should you donate your money?

There are many options, ranging from the Red Cross to your local church or community-based effort. Evaluating how to make your gift is important, because your money is valuable.

Ask yourself:

Does the organization have experience giving to international disaster relief? If not, ask why they are collecting money for Haiti.
Does the organization have the expertise and relationships to ensure that aid actually gets into Haiti?
Does the organization have people on the ground in Haiti who can help ensure that short-term and long-term relief and rebuilding efforts affect those in need?
Is the organization large enough to handle a major influx of financial contributions?

While giving is of utmost importance, you should also know that in-person and online fraud does occur in the wake of disasters and that people are taken advantage of. To avoid being a victim of fraud, do not give cash. Write a check or use your debit or credit card. Make sure the organization is a recognized charity. Make sure you know how the organization will use your money. Get a receipt that lists the organization’s tax identification number. Check out www.give.org, a Web site of the Better Business Bureau, if you have questions about how to make your gift.

Disasters are also a time when well-meaning people and organizations appeal to others for disaster assistance when they don’t really have the ability to directly impact the lives of those who are suffering.

Yes, organizations without direct experience in Haiti or without experience in disaster relief may turn around and use your gift as part of a larger gift to an organization such as UNICEF or the Red Cross, but you don’t know that for sure. This is a good time for organizations to increase their revenue while “passing through” money to larger organizations. There is certainly no problem with giving a $100 check made out to the Red Cross to your church or a local community-based effort. If you do decide to give directly to a local group, make sure that it is aligned with a larger organization that knows how to get the necessary people and resources into Haiti.

Your care and concern for others is important. Together we are making a difference. As we write this column, $16 million has been given to major charities by text messaging alone, often in amounts of $5 and $10. American businesses have given over $43 million. The NFL gave $2 million. Your gift makes a difference.

Mel and Pearl Shaw are the principals of Saad & Shaw – Comprehensive Fund Development Services and the authors of “How to Solicit a Gift: Turning Prospects into Donors,” available at www.saadandshaw.com or by calling (510) 834-4310. Saad & Shaw provides clients with a unique brand of fundraising that combines marketing with fundraising fundamentals. Clients include hospitals, colleges and nonprofit organizations.