Frequently Asked Questions

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Some key questions to consider:

How will my giving make a difference?
Money alone is not the need. Resources must be matched with specific organizations that can provide effective and efficient services. Get a clear sense that the organization you are funding has the means to effectively deliver and administer needed service offerings in the communities most significantly affected.

What do I hope to accomplish?
After watching a few minutes of emotional television news coverage, it is easy to become motivated to give. Pause before you do. At this stage be sure to employ this essential discipline: give to results rather than need. If you are moved by the plight of people you see crowded in mass shelters, then give in ways that settle them into transitional housing. Decide first what result you want to achieve and then give accordingly.

What is being missed by others?
The greatest opportunities for doing good occur when we find what is being overlooked by others. Most news coverage will zoom in on the powerful images of immediate human struggle. And this is where a majority of the disaster relief funding will flow. But consider where these same recipients will be in a month, in six months, etc. Who will support the essential work of rebuilding these lives as well as the broken communities in which they live? We encourage you to look for organizations that build sustainable solutions rather than just short-term disaster relief.

FINANCIAL:

Should I give to local groups or national organizations?
Find the organization that can most effectively make a difference in the hard-hit place of need. Generally, the best implementers will be those with local leaders who already demonstrate a clear understanding and commitment to the affected communities-- prior to the disaster’s onslaughts. Look for grassroots leaders who will not be hindered by middlemen or isolated decision-makers living well outside the affected communities.

How much of each dollar that I give will actually reach the people I want to help?
Charities vary widely in how efficient they are. Some spend most of the contributions they receive on running their organization. By contrast, some local groups are collecting money with the pledge that 100% of the funds will be spent directly on the people you want to help. In each case, consider not just the efficiency in their operations, but the effectiveness in delivering result.