Disaster Relief

International relief organizations are scrambling to get to devastated areas in the central Philippines to join relief and recovery efforts after Friday’s typhoon left 10,000 dead, according to news reports. Many American groups are also raising money to support the survivors of Typhoon Haiyan.

The Chronicle of Philanthropy talked with Robert Ottenhoff, president of the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, about what is happening and how donors and nonprofits can avoid mistakes.

After enduring some criticism over its performance during Superstorm Sandy, the American Red Cross has agreed to make changes in the way it solicits donations after major disasters to avoid potential confusion over how that aid money is likely to be spent. The relief organization agreed to modify the language it uses on its website in a way intended to give donors more information about whether their gifts will be used to assist victims of a particular catastrophe or for Red Cross operations in general.

In the wake of this week's deadly tornado in Oklahoma, we're rerunning this May 2010 Q&A with Blackbaud's Steve MacLaughlin, who talks about fundraising lessons learned from the earthquake that devastated Haiti in January of that year.

Though misunderstood at first, Doctors Without Borders’ bold decision to stop accepting tsunami-relief donations in 2005 helped revive public trust in nonprofits.

Charities in New York state have collectively raised more than $400 million for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, the state's attorney general said Thursday. A survey of 88 nonprofit groups by Eric Schneiderman's office found that as of mid-December, the fundraising for storm victims had been dominated by five charities, led by the American Red Cross ($188 million), the Robin Hood Foundation ($67 million), the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City ($45 million), the Empire State Relief Fund ($15.4 million) and The Salvation Army's eastern U.S. division ($14.3 million).

The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) announced that it will provide $5 million to selected nonprofit agencies to help New Jersey residents recover from the devastation caused by Hurricane Sandy. In addition to the $500,000 already committed, RWJF will provide $4.5 million to help with recovery, rebuilding and social services support, including mental health services for individuals and families in the state.

Additional million-dollar donations for recovery efforts following Superstorm Sandy from a broad spectrum of corporations were announced this week. As of midweek, the Coach Foundation had joined the ranks of seven-figure contributors to Sandy recovery efforts, pledging $2 million to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, while apparel company PVH Corp. announced a donation of $1 million, to be shared equally by the Red Cross, the Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City and the Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief Fund.

The Internal Revenue Service said Tuesday that American employees could donate, through payroll deductions, their vacation, sick and personal leave days to organizations helping with Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. The IRS has allowed such donations before, after the Sept. 11 attacks and again after Hurricane Katrina. Under the temporary rules, employers give cash to charitable organizations in exchange for leave time employees agree to forgo. The money must be donated by Jan. 1, 2014.

MTV said on Monday that it would broadcast a one-hour fundraising special next week to benefit rebuilding efforts in the Seaside Heights, N.J. area, which was one of many coastal regions hit hard by Hurricane Sandy. The special, called “Restore the Shore,” will be shown at 11 p.m. EST Nov. 15. The cable network said it was working with Architecture for Humanity, a nonprofit organization that provides design and construction services, and will establish a fund for rebuilding the boardwalk in Seaside Heights and assisting individuals and businesses affected by the storm.

The first days following a disaster or other emergencies — like Hurricane Sandy that hit the East Coast this week — can be crucial for organizations as they reach out to supporters and request help. At a time when many organizations may not have the time to outline a formal strategy, here are seven tips that can help any organization make the greatest impact during this time of need.