Comments on: Philanthropy’s Role in Haiti http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti Fri, 09 Dec 2011 20:42:38 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Gina H. http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti/comment-page-1#comment-8567 Gina H. Wed, 17 Feb 2010 13:44:05 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti#comment-8567 Nicki, I do not know of such a network but the time has come for it to exist since we are truly the ones who hang in there even when there is nothing more to hang on to. I'll tell you this, with respect to larger organizations, in 2006, World Vision got up and left the children in the south low and dry and we received a letter from the school director in the city of Les Cayes, I'll be posting these letters on haitiecole.com soon, requesting that our mission supports them. Imagine this, World Vision, richly funded World Vision got up and left... well, we were the ones who said yes to them, even if it meant only sending 200 US dollars a month, but we still said yes. My point is most tell you they give to the Red Cross and World Vision and those larger ones, not knowing when they cannot afford a big salary for the Country Director or he or she gets tired of being in that country, they just leave...we stay, even with zero funding from anyone, we stay. Nicki,
I do not know of such a network but the time has come for it to exist since we are truly the ones who hang in there even when there is nothing more to hang on to. I’ll tell you this, with respect to larger organizations, in 2006, World Vision got up and left the children in the south low and dry and we received a letter from the school director in the city of Les Cayes, I’ll be posting these letters on haitiecole.com soon, requesting that our mission supports them. Imagine this, World Vision, richly funded World Vision got up and left… well, we were the ones who said yes to them, even if it meant only sending 200 US dollars a month, but we still said yes. My point is most tell you they give to the Red Cross and World Vision and those larger ones, not knowing when they cannot afford a big salary for the Country Director or he or she gets tired of being in that country, they just leave…we stay, even with zero funding from anyone, we stay.

]]> By: Nicki ffrench http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti/comment-page-1#comment-8565 Nicki ffrench Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:26:31 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti#comment-8565 Couldn't agree with you more , it often means far nore efficient - is there a history of any network or any collective action between the different grassroots organisations there Gina do you know? thanks, Nicki Couldn’t agree with you more , it often means far nore efficient – is there a history of any network or any collective action between the different grassroots organisations there Gina do you know?

thanks,

Nicki

]]> By: Gina H. http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti/comment-page-1#comment-8564 Gina H. Wed, 17 Feb 2010 00:01:30 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti#comment-8564 Schooling the children to deflect juvenile delinquency and hopelessness is our job at haitiecole.com. Grassroots organizations on the ground in Haiti for many years should also be considered. Smaller does not mean inefficient. Thank you. Schooling the children to deflect juvenile delinquency and hopelessness is our job at haitiecole.com. Grassroots organizations on the ground in Haiti for many years should also be considered. Smaller does not mean inefficient.
Thank you.

]]> By: Bob Ottenhoff http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti/comment-page-1#comment-8477 Bob Ottenhoff Wed, 20 Jan 2010 20:22:52 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti#comment-8477 These are excellent points, ones that we at GuideStar agree with completely. In fact, during the Katrina crisis we began reminding reporters and donors that the problems of New Orleans existed long before the hurricane and that taking your time with a wise giving decision was better than a rushed donation to an ineffective organization. Since the Haiti crisis broke, we have been telling donors much the same and to consider long-term as well as short-term giving. As I noted in my blog (http://bit.ly/8mGWpd), “’Disaster relief’ is a long-term process, as we’ve seen in the aftermath of the December 26, 2004, tsunamis and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.” Another issue is restricted versus unrestricted gifts. We recommend that in times of disaster a donor consider giving to a well-experienced organization’s general disaster-relief fund, rather than earmarking the gift for Haiti. Remember that relief organizations can’t wait until donations start coming in to respond to a disaster—they have to get to the scene as quickly as possible. By giving to a general relief fund, you give the organization the ability to use your donation where and when it is most needed. Perhaps that will be in Haiti today. Perhaps it will be at some other location in the future. But your gift to a nonprofit’s general relief fund will make a difference. These are excellent points, ones that we at GuideStar agree with completely. In fact, during the Katrina crisis we began reminding reporters and donors that the problems of New Orleans existed long before the hurricane and that taking your time with a wise giving decision was better than a rushed donation to an ineffective organization. Since the Haiti crisis broke, we have been telling donors much the same and to consider long-term as well as short-term giving. As I noted in my blog (http://bit.ly/8mGWpd), “’Disaster relief’ is a long-term process, as we’ve seen in the aftermath of the December 26, 2004, tsunamis and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.”

Another issue is restricted versus unrestricted gifts. We recommend that in times of disaster a donor consider giving to a well-experienced organization’s general disaster-relief fund, rather than earmarking the gift for Haiti. Remember that relief organizations can’t wait until donations start coming in to respond to a disaster—they have to get to the scene as quickly as possible. By giving to a general relief fund, you give the organization the ability to use your donation where and when it is most needed. Perhaps that will be in Haiti today. Perhaps it will be at some other location in the future. But your gift to a nonprofit’s general relief fund will make a difference.

]]> By: Nicki ffrench http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti/comment-page-1#comment-8473 Nicki ffrench Wed, 20 Jan 2010 16:22:12 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti#comment-8473 Would love to hear your thoughts Sean if you get a chance to... Would love to hear your thoughts Sean if you get a chance to…

]]> By: Sean Stannard-Stockton http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti/comment-page-1#comment-8472 Sean Stannard-Stockton Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:57:16 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti#comment-8472 We haven't looked at Fonkoze. We haven’t looked at Fonkoze.

]]> By: Nicki ffrench http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti/comment-page-1#comment-8471 Nicki ffrench Wed, 20 Jan 2010 15:28:26 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti#comment-8471 Fonkoze is Haiti's Alternative Bank for the Organized Poor. www.fonkoze.org As a regular supporter I am a strong believer in the effectiveness of Fonkoze as well as the values on which their work is based. In the context of this conversation, the long-term nature of donating to Fonkze seems particularly relevant. I'm interested to know had you come across them Sean? from Nicki in Cork, Ireland Fonkoze is Haiti’s Alternative Bank for the Organized Poor.
http://www.fonkoze.org

As a regular supporter I am a strong believer in the effectiveness of Fonkoze as well as the values on which their work is based. In the context of this conversation, the long-term nature of donating to Fonkze seems particularly relevant. I’m interested to know had you come across them Sean?

from Nicki in Cork, Ireland

]]> By: Sean Stannard-Stockton http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti/comment-page-1#comment-8470 Sean Stannard-Stockton Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:35:56 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti#comment-8470 Thanks Rick. Yes, PIH was on the ground prior to the earthquake. Since 1985. It seems to me that agencies that work with local people are almost always better than outside entities that try to insert themselves into a situation. That appears to be true domestically as well as in international aid. Thanks Rick. Yes, PIH was on the ground prior to the earthquake. Since 1985. It seems to me that agencies that work with local people are almost always better than outside entities that try to insert themselves into a situation. That appears to be true domestically as well as in international aid.

]]> By: Rick Cohen http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti/comment-page-1#comment-8469 Rick Cohen Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:22:51 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti#comment-8469 Excellent post, Sean. 'There are other lessons embedded in your post, however: The experience regarding the Southeast Asian tsunami showed that some of the best relief assistance was delivered by groups that were already on the ground and working with the nations affected. That's one of the reasons why PIH is a good choice, if i'm correct that PIH was in Haiti prior to the earthquake; its existing network and connections mean that it has the ability to understand local culture, politics, and more, rather than coming in without those understandings. Also, in the reconstruction/redevelopment phase, it seems that a lesson of both Katrina and the tsunami is that manmade elements of the disaster have to be addressed. The social inequities and the lack of governmental infrastructure must be recognized and charitable donations should therefore also build local capacity. But also in both Katrina and Haiti, there's clearly the ecological elements of the disaster, suggesting that some "green" reconstruction has to occur as well (just compare the deforestation of Haiti with the relatively ecologically healthier Dominican Republic, and some elements of the impact of the earthquake become even clearer). Please keep up a dialogue that gets your readers to remember and apply lessons from Katrina, the tsunami, the Pakistan earthquake, and more. Excellent post, Sean. ‘There are other lessons embedded in your post, however: The experience regarding the Southeast Asian tsunami showed that some of the best relief assistance was delivered by groups that were already on the ground and working with the nations affected. That’s one of the reasons why PIH is a good choice, if i’m correct that PIH was in Haiti prior to the earthquake; its existing network and connections mean that it has the ability to understand local culture, politics, and more, rather than coming in without those understandings. Also, in the reconstruction/redevelopment phase, it seems that a lesson of both Katrina and the tsunami is that manmade elements of the disaster have to be addressed. The social inequities and the lack of governmental infrastructure must be recognized and charitable donations should therefore also build local capacity. But also in both Katrina and Haiti, there’s clearly the ecological elements of the disaster, suggesting that some “green” reconstruction has to occur as well (just compare the deforestation of Haiti with the relatively ecologically healthier Dominican Republic, and some elements of the impact of the earthquake become even clearer). Please keep up a dialogue that gets your readers to remember and apply lessons from Katrina, the tsunami, the Pakistan earthquake, and more.

]]> By: Sean Stannard-Stockton http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti/comment-page-1#comment-8468 Sean Stannard-Stockton Tue, 19 Jan 2010 20:05:39 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti#comment-8468 Thanks Bruce. I hate to dissuade people from positively reacting to the emotional urge to give after seeing photos from the disaster, but I hope they can channel that emotion to making a smart, impactful gift. Thanks Bruce. I hate to dissuade people from positively reacting to the emotional urge to give after seeing photos from the disaster, but I hope they can channel that emotion to making a smart, impactful gift.

]]> By: Bruce Trachtenberg http://www.tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti/comment-page-1#comment-8467 Bruce Trachtenberg Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:51:30 +0000 http://tacticalphilanthropy.com/2010/01/philanthropys-role-in-haiti#comment-8467 Absolutely correct, Sean. Sadly, disasters follow the same cycles and have the same needs. Money first for rescue, then relief, and then very importantly, for reconstruction. And as you note, when looking for where to give for the long haul, find organizations with both a presence on the ground and a history and record of successful rebuilding. Absolutely correct, Sean. Sadly, disasters follow the same cycles and have the same needs. Money first for rescue, then relief, and then very importantly, for reconstruction. And as you note, when looking for where to give for the long haul, find organizations with both a presence on the ground and a history and record of successful rebuilding.

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