Past Lessons Provide Strong Base for Members Helping Haiti

February, 2010 - In mid-January, as the world’s attention focused on the crisis following the horrific earthquake in Haiti, Illinois’ nonprofit leaders were part of global efforts to provide aid. Donations that Donors Forum Members reported to Donors Forum toped $8 million within two weeks of the quake and local relief workers from various fields poured their hearts and talents into helping the island nation.

And, as it has during other recent natural disasters, Donors Forum tracked these efforts and provided answers to common questions from grantmakers and relief organizations.

As the days after the earthquake passed, it became clear the people behind many nonprofit and grantmaking organizations have recently become much more adept at providing rapid response in the crucial days following natural disasters.

Certainly, much of the effort was driven by the obvious need demonstrated in Haiti. Several aid organizations reported being better prepared to respond to the quake after having supported past disaster relief efforts in recent years. Among them was the Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago. The group recently organized internal protocols to avoid having to scramble in times of need, said Michael Kotzin, the group’s Executive Vice President.

“We walked into the office on Wednesday morning [after the quake] and convened a meeting and assigned our point people,” he said. “By 11:30 a.m., we had our announcement out about how to help.”

The group raised about $538,000 in under two weeks. Just as important as raising money quickly, Kotzin said, the Jewish Federation has been able to quickly tell its donors where that money is being used. The group sent Email updates and links to news stories where its funding recipients, such as The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, have been featured in rescue operations.

“We’re deliberately not sending updates everyday, but we’re not having to wait weeks, either,” he said. Kotzin said he believes the updates contributed to surges in response following quake.

Although these are response skills are developed through experiences we all wish we didn’t have, the past experience has helped this time around, as Liz Sode noted. Sode is Executive Director of Strategic Services for Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights, an aid organization that provides public service and policy solutions.

Heartland Alliance sent a team of staff and volunteers to Haiti soon after the earthquake to assess need and establish long-term services for survivors and first-responders. Sode said she has observed in recent years that communications around major disasters have gone global. This has allowed for quicker assessment of needs for rescue efforts and given aid groups the potential to respond more quickly.

Grantmakers have also been aided by the ability to quickly learn about the degree of need in Haiti. Donors Forum Members including Sara Lee Corp. and Discover Financial Services were among many organizations that decided to lend a hand, in part, at the urging of their employees. Though both organizations typically focus on communities where they have a presence, Sara Lee is working to donate 100,000 pairs of shoes for survivors and relief workers and agreed to match employee contributions to the American Red Cross of $25 to $10,000 on a two-for-one level. Meanwhile, Discover donated $100,000, and will donate up to $1 million more through a donation-matching program for its card members where it is waiving transaction fees on credit card donations made to the American Red Cross.

Though the need is unquestionable, contributions such as these are extremely generous considering the challenging giving environment many organizations are facing. Celene Peurye, Executive Director of the Baxter International Foundation, said there is great pressure on well-known companies to “give big” during disaster relief. Realistically, some organizations may be hard-pressed to make significant contributions.

Fortunately at Baxter, Peurye said efforts are made in advance for these situations. Those plans include establishing reserves of intravenous solutions, antibiotics, and vital drugs in partnerships with aid groups.

Similarly, Bank of America Charitable Foundation creates room in its annual budget to make donations to relief efforts in natural disasters, said Julie Chavez, community relations manager for Bank of America. The foundation has made a commitment to donate $1 million to relief efforts in Haiti. Chavez explained that because the bank’s footprint touches so many communities, the idea to budget for disaster ensures its foundation will be able to respond when needed.

Meanwhile, Baxter has focused its giving on rebuilding efforts. For example, it contributed $175,000 to rebuilding efforts in China’s Sichuan Province when it was struck by an earthquake in 2008. The mission, led by nonprofit group Project Hope, is focused on increasing accessibility to rehabilitation services for people with amputations and orthopedic injuries. Going forward, that sort of focus will be even more crucial in Haiti, given the level of destruction and types of injuries the people have endured.

Long term giving efforts such as these are one of several giving recommendations made by Arabella Philanthropic Investment Advisors. Doing its part in the effort, the services firm released a set of suggested guidelines and even named several relief organizations that inexperienced donors can feel safe about trusting.

Donors Forum will continue to track and report our Member and Forum Partner efforts as they continue in Haiti. These can be seen on Donors Forum's web page on the disaster. The page contains information not just about how people can help Haiti, but provides answers to common questions about tax considerations and offers advice on the unique challenges of supporting aid efforts in the aftermath of a natural disaster.

The Donors Forum website will be updated regularly as our constituents continue to notify us of their efforts and request help from the public.

“Our grantmaking Members are an incredibly generous group that steadfastly redoubles its efforts in response to terrible tragedies such as this one,” said Valerie S. Lies, President and CEO of Donors Forum. “We are pleased to highlight their philanthropic responses to the crisis in Haiti, and also contribute by providing important resources to those who wish to give.”