Donate: For better or for worse

On January 12, 2010 a 7.6 magnitude earthquake shook the island nation of Haiti to its core. The earthquake hit and left the nation in ruins. The capital, Port Au Prince, was demolished and the toll on its people is insurmountable. This is the latest in a series of natural disasters requiring the aid and support from millions of people and organizations around the world. When disaster strikes, you can almost predict the series of events that will take place; broadcast networks on the ground, U.S. government officials respond, celebrities chime in, and charities and relief organizations alike ask for our support.

The broadcast networks seemed to descend upon Haiti almost immediately. Reporters were on the scene to paint the picture of devastation and provide us with images documenting the tragedy. The stage was being set in order to prepare viewers for the impending requests for donations. The situation in Haiti is real, but I know that many people are confused about donating; some are even skeptical. We saw the same cry for help when the tsunami hit Indonesia on December 26, 2004, and then the unthinkable and unimaginable happened when Hurricane Katrina drowned the American city of New Orleans less than a year later in September 2005. In each case, people responded to the cries for help. We gave our time, our money, and shared our resources from our hearts. It’s been five years since these tragedies and we haven’t seen real improvement and we don’t have any status updates. The events in Indonesia, while heart wrenching, were a bit more distant, but Americans heeded the call from celebrities on telethons and gave to this cause. The heartbreak in New Orleans hit home. This happened on our watch, on our soil, to our people. How could we not give? We give to every other cause in every corner of the world, so it was a given that we would be charitable in this instance. Again, we heeded the call of celebrities on telethons and organizations like the Red Cross asking us to give.

Now, four years later we are hearing the cries for help again. We are in the depths of the worst economic recession since the Great Depression and we are being asked to give to numerous Haitian relief funds. The drill is the same, but this time there is more skepticism. I know that people are compassionate and want to give, but how can we be assured that our money is getting to the people that need it most? We are being told that money is what is needed; not time or donations of food and clothing, but money. Everywhere we look, we continue to see people in need of the basic necessities and while we are giving, they don’t seem to be getting. Organizations are asking us to give at every turn. Donor fatigue is bound to set in and the number one question is, “How can we be sure that these organizations are legitimate and our money is going toward the right cause?”

In the midst of the barrage of pleas for help, you can visit www.charitynavigator.org. This site provides a comprehensive financial analysis of 5,000 American charitable organizations and rates them as well. While we hope that charities are honest in their dealings, it is up to us to do the research and decide where and how much to give. Charity Navigator also spotlights lesser-known charities, which may be doing just as much if not more than your more established charities. One of these charities is Samaritan’s Purse. I decided to give to this organization based on the four-star rating from Charity Navigator. The organization’s president is W. Franklin Graham III, the son of the beloved, evangelical Billy Graham, and 88.6% of revenue is applied directly to program expenses. Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization that has been on the ground in Haiti and is experienced with disaster relief, providing aid to many of the poorest nations since 1970. The organization works year-round and the majority of their efforts are not chronicled by the media. They work in the name of the Lord and abide by His principles.

While organizations may be asking you to give money, the decision is still yours. Give in the manner in which you are able. You may encounter obstacles and be told that volunteers are not needed, but don’t be discouraged. The need is great and it’s real. There will be an opportunity for you to give for years to come.

-Grace is a blogger for The Sorbate. Check out her bio to see where her view comes from.