Asian Philanthropy Forum

Asians share thoughts on Haiti disaster and relief efforts

Several Asians chime in on the Haiti disaster relief and recovery efforts:

Don't Give Money to Haiti Now.  Perla Ni, founder of Great Nonprofits, writes on Stanford Social Innovation Review: If there is any lesson to be learned about how to donate to international disasters, it is this: 

Don't give your money when you first see the disaster splashed across TV. To ensure the rebuilding effort survives over the long term, donors need to stagger their funding and guarantee it over many years, instead of sending the money all at once. Yes, as hard as it may be to watch the dying and pain on our news, realize that money is not the impediment to getting aid to Haiti right now. They need military and security forces to help organize rescue, logistics and transport and security operations.

Philanthropy in Haiti: Don't miss out on the opportunity.  Penny Fujiko Willgerodt, Executive Director of Prospect Hill Foundation writes on Smart Assets: The Philanthropy New York Blog: 

Soon the news about the earthquake’s aftermath will be gone from public attention. These first few weeks are crucial for mobilizing donations even as we recognize that the problems on the ground and the struggle to recover in Haiti will continue for a long time. As we have seen from our experience in the Gulf Coast, Haiti will need lots of help just to get back to where it was prior to the earthquake. While horrific, infuriating, and ultimately very sad, this tragedy does create an opportunity to help the people and country of Haiti recover and rebuild in a way that supports sustainable development, human rights, and democracy. It is important that we do not miss this opportunity and that we advocate for philanthropy to focus on this critical approach.

Delivering aid is an inexact science. Delwar Hossain writes in the Guardian: Recent scenes from Haiti remind me of relief work in Bangladesh, where there was never enough to go around. 

As new channels beam images of aid distribution in Haiti, I am reminded of a post-emergency relief that I witnessed last year in a remote part of Bangladesh where a flood in 2007 had destroyed large areas of paddy and numerous homes. The people affected were some of the most marginal in the country, what development experts call "the extreme poor."

I came on the day tin sheets were being handed out. Even before the distribution had begun, there was trouble. The list that was originally drawn up of people from the most severely affected village had to be re-done. According to Tariq, a staff member with the NGO, this was because a local community-basedorganization that they had commissioned to make an inventory of recipients had put the names of their own relatives and friends  on it, thus denying the most needy.

Jet Li - One Foundation raising funds for Haiti

From Jet Li's Facebook page: 

No matter what country you are from or where it happens, the pain and force with which a natural disaster hits is the same. I am proud of everyone for showing support for the post-quake relief efforts in Haiti whether it be with their thoughts or dollars. The One Foundation has received over 500,000USD in donations from partners and individuals. We are one world, one family. We will all help Haiti stand up again.

From Jet Li's Facebook page: 

No matter what country you are from or where it happens, the pain and force with which a natural disaster hits is the same. I am proud of everyone for showing support for the post-quake relief efforts in Haiti whether it be with their thoughts or dollars. The One Foundation has received over 500,000USD in donations from partners and individuals. We are one world, one family. We will all help Haiti stand up again.

Directing relief dollars to where they're needed in Haiti

CNN features Gillian Yeoh, lead program officer for disaster grantmaking at Give2Asia on How to aim relief dollars where they're needed in Haiti.  Gillian points out the three phases of disaster response and how understanding these phases is important for donors. Knowing them will help donors decide when and how they can assist. The phases include immediate relief, short-term recovery and long-term recover. The full characteristics of each phase are described in the article.

Based upon her experiences, she recommends the following guidelines for donors:

1. Donate wisely. Specifically for institutional and corporate donors, it is important to think about the timing of your support. For instance, if it will take you four months to make a donation, you may wish to give to short-term or long-term recovery instead of relief operations.

If you are not familiar with the region or are not sure where to direct funds, contact organizations that have expertise or presence in that country to learn about the groups that are on the front lines of relief and recovery efforts. For example, the Resource Foundation is a U.S.-based charity responding to the disaster in Haiti; it also supports local groups across Latin America.

Such reliable groups can help identify proven and responsible organizations within the country. In some cases, there are large, politically connected organizations operating within an affected country, and giving to these local groups simply because of their size does not necessarily mean you've given to an organization that will use the donation responsibly.

2. Be flexible and mindful. Nonprofit organizations are fighting against time to implement relief and short-term recovery efforts. Encourage accountability, but give the organization space to use the funds as needed in a rapidly changing environment. If you are making a sizeable donation, this is not the best time to ask an organization to develop a program specifically for you or to request special meetings or site visits.

3. Avoid in-kind donations. Although in-kind gifts (non-monetary donations such as blankets, clothes and food) are very generous gestures, donors should avoid making in-kind donations for international relief, because transportation and distribution are very expensive and time-consuming. In-kind donations may not match the real needs of survivors. For example, they may be inappropriate from a cultural, climate or religious perspective. Providing cash to local groups for purchasing relief supplies locally may also help support the local economy, contributing to the recovery process.

4. Support programs that involve the survivors. Their participation is vital to ensuring that assistance addresses the diverse needs within the community. This is important because, all too often, resources have gone toward wasteful and inappropriate projects. For instance, after the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia, some foreign organizations rushed in and built houses for fishing communities. However, the houses were built too far inland, and it was inconvenient for the fishermen to travel to the ocean daily. As a result, many of these houses remain abandoned.

Engaging local stakeholders lays the foundation for continued recovery and development in the community. For example, several years ago, community action in response to flooding in the Philippines resulted in the formation of the Visayan Forum Foundation, which has won international awards for its work fighting human trafficking.

5. Consider supporting long-term recovery. Although the majority of donations for a disaster typically go to short-term assistance, affected communities need support for multiple years. Sustained involvement helps them rebuild the lives they had before the disaster so that they do not become reliant on handouts. Long-term recovery also offers an opportunity to rebuild safer, healthier and more sustainable communities. For instance, in the aftermath of the 2008 China earthquake, ongoing programs by Global Village of Beijing are providing survivors with the skills to build environmentally friendly and earthquake resistant homes.

Photo courtesy of UNDP

Tsunami pushed philanthropy forward

Five years ago today, the devastation caused by the tsunami in India, Indonesia, Sir Lanka and Thailand was overwhelming.  230,000 people were killed, thousands injured and 10 million were homeless or displaced. But the response by individuals, companies and foundations was just as overwhelming. Many groups, like theAsian Chefs Association held a gala to raise funds for disaster relief and recovery. Children in grade schools found creative ways to raise money to help other children across the world.

It is during times of difficulty and suffering that people rise to overcome the challenges they face. These are also times when people become more aware of the power they have to influence the outcome of certain situations and when philanthropists are created.  The Chinese actor and philanthropist, Jet Li started to think about giving back when he was in Maldives when the tsunami hit and he saw the devastation. Supermodel, Petra Nemcova lost her boyfriend and suffered a shattered hip and internal injuries.  She started the Happy Hearts Fund to help children affected by natural disasters.

I was working as a consultant with Give2Asia in 2006 to help them with their fifth anniversary celebration. As part of the events, Petra Nemcova was the featured guest.  At that time, Give2Asia donors provided over $4 million in relief for devastated communities and supported 57 projects managed by local charitable organizations that worked to create new opportunities for survivors of the tsunami. Petra had just returned from a trip to Sir Lanka and Thailand, visiting several of the projects she had supported before her stop at Give2Asia's fifth anniversary celebrations.  The convergence of a powerful and tragic story, the stardom and access to media, and the desire to give back, created the perfect setting for the supermodel to be the champion for the Asian tsunami recovery.

Petra's philanthropy evolved from tsunami recovery to helping vulnerable children all over the world. Jet Li became the philanthropy champion for China.  Give2Asia's potential as an organization to help donors during disasters magnified.  Philanthropic experiments and organizations started in areas where they would never have worked before.  The tsunami created a wave of interest in international philanthropy and introduced countries and cultures to many people that had never heard of them before. While we hope another disaster like this never happens again, we are also amazed at how resilient people and organizations can be in times of disaster. From every story comes an opportunity to make the world just a little bit better.

About the picture: Give2Asia fifth anniversary celebration in San Francisco. Petra Nemcova with Give2Asia founding Chairman, Sandy Calhoun, Vice Chairman, Bill Fuller and founding CEO, Mike Rea.

Philanthropy in China, part 2

Cross-posted on Tactical Philanthropy by Dien S. Yuen. Part 1 can be found here.

Philanthropy during the Sichuan (Wenchuan) Earthquake

Even before the Sichuan Earthquake, charitable giving was becoming a trend in China. Social needs, shifts in government policies and the existence of new private wealth contributed to the growing trend. During disasters, the outpouring of assistance from individuals and corporations were beginning to increase and the number of donors making large donations was rising. Newspapers report that more than 11 billion yuan (US$1.3 billion) was collected for philanthropic purposes during the Yangtze River’s catastrophic flood in 1998. In addition to domestic giving, Chinese donors were also interested in supporting disaster relief overseas. US$18.11 million was raised from individuals and corporations in China to support the Asian tsunami relief efforts.

In a report prepared by the China Charity & Donation Center for Give2Asia’s Beijing Philanthropy Forum, the amount of China’s charitable donations had sustained an annual growth rate above 65%. In 2007, the top 50 donations from individuals totaled RMB2.58 billion (US$377 million), representing 62% of total donations by individuals. Contributions that year supported education (37%); poverty alleviation (14%); disaster relief (12%); medical treatment and public health (9%); culture, sports and the arts (6%); and environmental protection, women and children (22%).

Philanthropy in China, Part 1

Cross-posted on Tactical Philanthropy by Dien S. Yuen.

China’s influence and power is undisputable and with its tremendous economic growth, millionaires are made daily. According to the 2009 Cap Gemini World Wealth Report, China’s high-net worth individual population became the fourth largest in world in 2008, surpassing the U.K. By 2018, this population is expected to more than triple in size. In addition to making money, many are also giving it away – and in significant amounts.

Those in the philanthropy field are fascinated by what is taking place in China. In a country where the government takes care of the social needs of its people, how did such an explosive number of social organizations come into being? Will a new group of Chinese philanthropy leaders soon shape the global philanthropy and social development field? Will the next wave of philanthropy flow from China to the U.S. – or has it already started? It is an exciting time for many of us in the field as we watch Chinese leaders search for philanthropic models around the world and adapt it to suit its own cultural and social context.

This is part one of a two part post on a brief overview of philanthropy in China. It is structured in three phases: pre-Sichuan earthquake, the response during the disaster, and post-Sichuan earthquake. The purpose is to provide an overview of the rapidly changing philanthropic landscape in China.

Live blogging: Give2Asia conference call on Philippines disaster relief and recovery

Invitation: disaster in the Philippines- conference call on relief and recovery efforts 10/19/09

Give2Asia is hosting a teleconference to brief donors, advisors and friends about relief and recovery needs and effective philanthropic strategies in response to the disaster in the Philippines on Monday, October 19, 2009 at 8:30 am PST/11:30 am EST.  The call will be moderated by Mr. Joe Lumarda, Trustee of Give2Asia and SVP, Capital Group Companies.

Based in Manila, Dr. Steven Rood, Philippines Country Representative at The Asia Foundation, is monitoring first hand the destruction caused by Typhoon Ketsana, and the heavy rains brought by Typhoon Parma.  He will describe the destruction, immediate responses, on-going needs and what it will take to rebuild the lives of those affected by the disaster.

Ms.Gillian Yeoh, Program Officer at Give2Asia will reflect on lessons learned from past disasters in Asia. She will also share how our partners on-the-ground are responding to the relief and recovery work.

Call details:

US callers: 1-800-920-7487 International callers: 1-404-920-1710Participant code 16764888#RSVPs to kuyenco@give2asia.org are encouraged but not required.  For friends unable to join the call, information on how to access a free recording will be available on Wednesday, on our website at www.give2asia.org.  Please feel free to pass this along to interested colleagues.

Download INVITATION - Philippines Conf Call 101909

Photo courtesy of IRRI images

Supporting disaster relief efforts in Asia: All types of donors wanted

- by Dien S Yuen

Southeast Asia has been hit horribly by a series of tragic events.  It is too difficult to convey in words the lives that were lost and the damage done to homes and businesses.  The Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, Western Sumatra... these were already countries with high rates of poverty.

As I look at these pictures, I can't help but feel overwhelmed for the victims.  But since I work at Give2Asia and we are fielding emails and calls from donors wanting to help - there is no time to feel sad.  There are many, many generous donors - individuals, corporations, families, friends - that want to help.  Like all disasters, we encourage donors to think about immediate relief and also long term recovery.

There are many groups like the Red Cross that can provide immediate aid such as clean water and food. As the media attention dies down in the next several weeks though, survivors will also need help to rebuild their homes and businesses.  There are some donors that give because their heart aches as they see the destruction and want to take action right away.  By making a gift instantly, they feel as if they alleviated some suffering of an unknown friend.  While the Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia may be far away, pain and suffering are universal emotions we all connect with.

There are also some donors that want to be more strategic and wait until the immediate relief is stabilized so they can see what else is needed.  In-between stages of support - assistance to get life back to normal, clearing of roads, cleaning of homes are required along with finding food, shelter and clean water.  Long term recovery also includes helping survivors rebuild their lives and their livelihood.  This may include micro-loans to business owners so they can purchase supplies again.  There is the psycho-social therapy needs for children, seniors and others traumatized by the disaster.

Saving the Qiang children

Last year, we were faced with two disasters in Asia.  Many individuals, families, foundations and corporations in the U.S. stepped up and generously supported the disaster relief and recovery of Cyclone Nargis in Burma and the Sichuan Earthquake in China.  In the same spirit of sharing, I had invited several authors to pick a topic that was not in the mainstream news but related to the disasters.  For the next several posts, we hope our readers will enjoy these stories. 

Rebuilding Lives of Sichuan Earthquake Children Survivors from Golden Bridges on Vimeo.