How was your weekend? Just like many other people around the world, you probably enjoyed your break from your work week; but I am sure that you also heard about what happened in Chile. They got hit by an 8.8 earthquake – more than a degree stronger than the quake that shattered the country of Haiti.
It hasn’t been more than a day or so since this happened, and the damages are only now being seen in Chile. The death toll has reached hundreds, and the numbers are expected to rise. Tsunamis have been triggered by the quake, with the waves reaching as far as Japan and Russia. Fortunately for those countries, they didn’t really get affected.
It’s another story in Chile, though. The people of this country need our help now. In the United States, you can help through SMS:
• SMS text “CHILE” to 25383 to donate $10 to Habitat for Humanity
• SMS text “CHILE” to 20222 to donate $10 to World Vision
• SMS text “REBUILD” to 50555 to donate $10 to Operation USA
• SMS text “YOUTH” to 20222 to donate $10 to UNICEF
You can also donate through Google Checkout here. They are receiving donations for UNICEF and Direct Relief International.
There are also numerous other ways by which you can donate – those are perhaps the most convenient. However, I challenge you to step out of your comfort zones and find more ways to help. Mashable has an extensive list here. Visit your local Red Cross and other organizations that may be holding their own operations. This is not the time to sit back and relax. You never know, next time, it might be you needing this kind of help.
Categories: Campaigns, Charities, Disaster Relief | Tags: Charities, Chile, Google Checkout, Haiti, Mashable, SMS donations
In my previous post, I wrote about how mobile phone carriers have made it so easy and so convenient for the average person to donate to the relief efforts in Haiti. There is absolutely nothing wrong with donating via mobile phone – that’s what I did, actually. However, there is only so much that an individual can give in terms of money, right? If you look at things from a wider perspective, though, if more people band together to help out, the results just might be so much better.
I was actually inspired by this story I read at The Guardian the other day. It’s about a group of mothers who organized a sale – baby toys, books, and clothes. They got together to raise cash to donate to Unicef’s Haiti Earthquake Children’s Appeal. Being mothers, their hearts were touched by the plight of the children in ravaged Haiti.
Here’s an excerpt from the article:
Ms Sheffied said: “We just wanted to give more than we have ourselves, and we thought a charity sale would be the best way to do this. So many children have been left orphaned or homeless by the earthquake, so it’s vital that funds are raised to support them. We just hope lots of people will come along to support us. We think this will be a really fun morning for local families, and most importantly we aim to raise money for the children of Haiti.”
They’re in the UK, but the location is not important. If they can do something like this, anyone from any country can set up something similar. How can you help Haiti? Ask yourself that.
Categories: Fundraising, International Aid | Tags: Fundraising, Haiti, International Aid, natural-disaster
The advent of mobile technology has made giving donations to charities so much easier. When the awful flooding hit The Philippines late last year, major mobile carriers in the country opened up text lines to accept donations. When news of the Haiti earthquake became known, the same thing has happened in a much wider scale.
Experts tell us, however, that while it is convenient for us to donate through text messages, it may take up to 90 days before the money actually gets to the people who can use the money to help the victims. The good news is that mobile carriers are already implementing measures to help hasten the process.
On the other hand, this convenience has also opened up possibilities of scammers getting through to well-intentioned individuals. As such, you have to be careful and discerning in how you donate money to Haiti. Here are some tips to help you out.
• Check out numbers with the mentioned charity. You can do this by going to their web site or giving them a call. Facebook status messages are all over the place: send HAITI to this number and that number to donate to certain charities. Before you send anything, check it out first.
• Do not click on links in e-mails and instant messages automatically just because they say something about Haiti. This is a formula for disaster. Either you get a virus or you become a victim of phishing. Again, whatever the charity is, make sure you check it out first. Google is not here for nothing, you know.
• Visit the Better Business Bureau’s web site or give them a call. If you want to donate to a certain group and you have misgivings, your best bet is to get in touch with this agency.
Have you done your part yet? If not, it’s time that you did, but make sure you do it safely!
Categories: Disaster Relief, International Aid, Tips | Tags: Haiti, International Aid, mobile donations, natural-disasters, Tips
He may be third in line for the British throne, but Prince William is not afraid to get down and dirty – as long as it’s for a good cause. Tuesday night, Prince William slept on the streets of London despite the weather conditions. The temperatures that night went down to as low as negative four degrees Celsius and yet the Prince took it all in good stride – he used cardboard boxes as bedding.
So why did he do this? The Prince slept on the street as part of promoting awareness of homeless people. He supports charitable group Centrepoint, which focuses on those who do not have homes. Seyi Obakin, the chief executive of the organization tells of Prince William’s experience:
“There was no shielding from the bitter cold or the hard concrete floor or the fear of being accosted by drug dealers, pimps or those out to give homeless people a good kicking. One of the hairiest moments occurred when we were almost run over by a road sweeper which simply didn’t see our small group huddled together, which just goes to show how vulnerable rough sleepers are.”
Obakin spent the night with Prince William and also shared just how determined he was to get an understanding of what homeless people go through. After that night, the Prince probably has a whole new perspective.
What does this mean for the charity? They just might get financial support from the Royal Family. At the very least, more people will pay attention to their cause.
Categories: Charities, Inspiration, News | Tags: charity organizations, homeless, Prince William
How do you give to charitable organizations? Do you have a specific list of groups and causes that you regularly help out? Or maybe you’re the type that gives whenever you can, whenever someone comes up to you? It does not really matter how you choose to give to charity – it is the intent behind the giving that counts.
However, we have to face the stark reality that not all charities and fundraisers give everything they raise to their clients – those in need. And no, I am not talking about scams. In fact, we have to realize that fundraisers and other similar events cost money. As such, part of the money that people give for charity goes to operating costs.
Now the question is just how much do organizations use for expenses and how much of the money raised actually goes to those in need? The answer varies depends on the organization, naturally. I just saw some figures at the Yakima-Herald relating to this:
To that end, check out the Commercial Fundraiser Activity Report, compiled by the office of Secretary of State Sam Reed. The report, which is available online, tracks third-party, paid fundraisers who operate in the state. There are some 8,800 charities registered in Washington, of which nearly 600 use paid fundraisers.
The 2009 report found that an average of 58 percent of contributions were returned to charity clients. However, while the top 10 fundraisers gave back an average of 89 percent to charities, about a third of the paid fundraisers returned less than 20 percent to their clients.
Less than 20 percent?! It is outrageous, isn’t it? That is why, in my opinion, it is so much better to give directly to causes that you support. Fundraisers are great, but only if you can get assurance that most of the money will go to the deserving.
Categories: Tips | Tags: charity, fundraisers
How was your weekend? Just like many other people around the world, you probably enjoyed your break from your work week; but I am sure that you also heard about what happened in Chile. They got hit by an 8.8 earthquake – more than a degree stronger than the quake that shattered the country of Haiti.
