The
media attention that often follows an international disaster brings about
a compassionate response from Americans. We want to share our excess clothing,
blankets, food, and other household items. And we often feel that simply
writing a check isn’t enough. This leads to questions about the most
appropriate ways we can help disaster victims in other countries. This
guide is an attempt to answer these questions.
In this guide, we use the term
“material donation” to refer to donations of “things,”
as opposed to cash. Material donations, sometimes referred to as “Gifts
In Kind,” could consist of any new or used item that is donated to
a relief effort. The cautionary messages about material donations are
targeted solely at unsolicited, individual material donations.
By this, we mean the spontaneous outpouring of donated things from individual
Americans seeking to respond to media reports of a disaster. We are not
referring to corporate bulk donations or services, which may be specifically
requested by professional disaster relief organizations responding to
a crisis.
Cash
is Best
Cash allows disaster relief
professionals to procure exactly what is needed in a disaster situation.
Cash is the most efficient
donation because it does not use up scarce resources such as transportation
routes, staff time, and warehouse space and because it can be transferred
very quickly.
Cash donations do not require
transportation costs, which can outweigh the value of materials donated.
Cash supports the economy
of the disaster-stricken region.
Cash donations prevent culturally,
dietary, and environmentally inappropriate giving.
For lists of organizations
accepting cash donations for assistance they are providing in a particular
disaster, see: InterAction Members Respond
Material
Donations Can Also Help if Handled Properly
If handled appropriately, donated materials can add value to disaster
response efforts. If you do decide to donate materials rather than cash,
then there are steps you can take to ensure that your donation is made
in such a way as to benefit the affected people while avoiding some of
the problems often associated with donated material.
Before you collect anything...
The most important step when donating materials is to contact an established,
professional relief organization before you collect anything. For information
on how to appropriately donate material, see Appropriate
Ways to Make Material Donations
Uses
for Material Donations
If you have already collected material to donate to disaster victims in
another country and now can’t find a reputable relief organization
to accept it, you are not alone. With the best of intentions, people often
collect first and ask questions later. See Uses
for Material Donations for some suggestions on what you can do with
the material.
Volunteering
Volunteer opportunities for disaster assistance are extremely limited.
See Volunteering for more information.
We have made some people
angry in the past by turning down and discouraging their well-intentioned
offers of used clothing or canned goods. There is no question in our minds,
however, that we have made the right decision. It is as much our duty
to educate the public about what is needed and when, as it is to provide
assistance to the victims of a disaster.
Jose Aponte, American Red Cross.
“Disaster Response: When Good Intentions Aren’t Enough”,
InterAction, 1990
The biggest waste of precious
time we must invariably deal with in every disaster visible to the public
is unsolicited, inappropriate, and unneeded relief commodities. Educating
the American public to channel their admirable humanitarian instincts
into more productive routes remains one of our most serious challenges.
Andrew Natsios, US Office of
Foreign Disaster Assistance. “Disaster Response: When Good Intentions
Aren’t Enough”, InterAction, 1990
