Many people who are moved by the human cost of a major disaster such as the recent hurricanes want to help. Here are ideas to help you make sure your help is effective.
Think before you give. With today’s technology, it’s easy to make a quick gift, through Facebook, GoFundMe, or by clicking on an online ad. But the best way to respond to a disaster is a little like responding to an emergency: often it’s better to think before you act. Think about how you can best respond.
Give locally. One problem with making a quick donation is that it often goes to one charity, the American Red Cross. This helps the Red Cross respond to a disaster and maintain its disaster-response capacity. But supporting the Red Cross may not be the best way to help the people and communities that have been hurt by a specific disaster over time.
An alternative is to support local charities or funds that are set up to respond to a specific disaster, often by the local United Way or a community foundation. It often takes a few days to set up these local disaster response funds, which is why it’s smart to wait a few days to donate.
In the North Carolina mountains, for example, the Appalachia Funders Network has set up the Appalachian Helene Response Fund, which will provide immediate and sustained support to communities in six states hit hardest by Helene. The Funders Network includes 70 member organizations across this region.
In Asheville, NC, the local United Way has set up the Hurricane Helene Relief Fund Buncombe County to raise money and “ensure that we distribute the dollars raised for this long-term recovery and rebuilding effort in a coordinated manner.”
Sometimes, local charities have already set up disaster response funds. On Florida’s Gulf Coast, hit by both Helene and Milton, the United Way Suncoast already had a Disaster Recovery Fund, which will now be used to help people impacted by these latest hurricanes.
Give money if you can. Money allows charities working on the ground to buy the supplies they need to meet the often quickly changing needs of those affected. In contrast, physical donations must be sorted, transported, stored and distributed. This all takes resources.
Give to help people who often don’t get much support. In many disasters, lower-income people, minorities and renters often get less help. As a result, in many communities hit by a disaster, community-based organizations working in lower-income communities can be a very good way to target your giving.
In North Carolina, for example, the North Carolina Counts Coalition, which works with community organizations across the state, has set up a way to support communities hit by Helene. It promises that 100% of the money raised will go to help these communities. It also invites donors to give directly to individual organizations in these communities, with links to each one.
Give to meet both short and long-term needs. When a disaster happens, the immediate needs are overwhelming: for rescue, food, shelter. But the harm is long-term: individuals need to heal. Families and communities need to be rebuilt. This takes resources over time, often years. This is why giving to a local fund often makes sense. Plus, it can connect you to a community over time, learning how it is recovering.
Give to help animals. Every disaster impacts animals as well as people. Many local charities focus on the needs of animals. In NC, for example, the Asheville Humane Society has worked to bring in pet food and to relocate dozens of dogs and cats to a shelter in another NC city.
Give to prevent the next disaster. In every state and most countries, charities are working to prevent or mitigate the next disaster, often by protecting the local environment or fighting climate change. The Florida Wildlife Federation, for example, says that fighting climate change is one of its top three priorities for preserving Florida wildlife.
Give to real charities. Before you give, make sure the charity you’re supporting is an actual charity. This is easy. Go to Guidestar.org and search on the charity’s name.
You can also go to CharityNavigator.org to get a list of highly rated charities that are responding to a specific disaster. For Helene, its list includes 25 charities that are providing support, including a few local charities.
Through Charity Navigator, you can reach each charity’s website, which allows you to see exactly what that charity is doing to respond. Look for charities that tell you exactly what they are doing and commit to using donations to help the people and communities most affected by this disaster.
Give in a way that most helps charities. A direct gift through a charity’s online donation page is often the most efficient way to give. One problem with giving through Facebook, for example, is that your data goes to Facebook, not the charity. This makes it hard for charities to connect with and report to their donors, building relationships over time.
Give to charities you already know and trust. Many national and international charities regularly respond to disasters. They often have existing connections to people on the ground in communities hit by a disaster, as well as connections to donor companies that can supply water, food, medicine and other critical supplies.
World Emergency Relief, for example, was able to quickly get 44 truckloads of supplies to North Carolina, Tennessee and Florida, working with its existing partners on the ground (see page 8).
Because food and water is often the most immediate need, a good way to provide quick support is by supporting the local food banks. On Florida’s Gulf Coast, for example, Feeding Tampa Bay provided more than 1 million meals to people impacted by the hurricanes.
Nationally, Feeding America works to get relief supplies to local Food Banks. After Helene, it sent 154 truckloads to 11 food banks in the Carolinas, Georgia, Florida and Tennessee. Feeding America’s website also allows donors to find and support local food banks.
World Central Kitchen also finds ways to help with disasters in the U.S. as well as the rest of the world. In response to Helene, it quickly sent water tanks to Asheville, tanks that can provide up to 100,000 gallons of water per day.