With many of its facilities in ruins, and its employees, customers, volunteers and donors scattered by Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans’ Audubon Nature Institute turned to the Web to raise the money needed to get back to its mission.

By Abny Santicola

Schultz adds that he’s worked with many organizations recovering from natural disasters in his 30-year career, and the biggest difference in the case of Katrina was the online giving capabilities that were available.

“Crisis [management] means a lot when there’s a disaster like this. If you can communicate with your donors right away, they’re going to respond to you. The Internet’s made it so much more instant, and it’s never going to go back in the other direction, that’s for sure,” Schultz says.