Fundraising Lessons Learned From Haiti

If organizations wait for the emergency situation to happen, it's already too late. After the first few days following a major disaster, the amount 
of giving really begins to trail off. It's a very narrow window to reach people before other things take over.

It's also important for 
all nonprofits, no matter what they do, to be prepared in advance for an emergency. Certainly there are groups like the American Red Cross or Doctors Without Borders [where] a lot of their work is involved in disaster relief. But really, colleges, universities, museums, faith-based organizations, just about anybody, there could be an emergency situation that happens — so being prepared in advanced is really important.