As a fundraiser, I often wonder about crisis fundraising…
- Does giving to an organization like the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, or Save the Children help those impacted in real-time during all-out war?
- What about sending medical supplies or even teddy bears (as I’ve seen requested this week for the children of Ukraine)? What sort of contributions help the most?
- Lastly, does crisis fundraising impact your own organization’s fundraising? And if so, how?
These are questions we’ll explore below in this week’s post. And I strongly encourage your comments.
Helping Ukraine: 4 Different Forms of Charity
As a human being, I can’t sit by and do nothing. I imagine that’s what most of us are thinking right now. But as a fundraiser, I have even stronger feelings about HOW we should be helping. My personal belief is that donating money is the number one way to help.
That said, let’s compare four different ways people around the world are trying to help those in Ukraine. And keep in mind, I’m writing this post as the catalyst for a discussion in the comments. My opinions are just that, and I encourage you to share your thoughts below.
1. Providing Emergency Funds
You already know where I stand on this one — from my standpoint, donating money is the very best way to help. You’re giving to organizations who are already set up to provide swift and critical aid in times of crises.
To date, I’ve donated to the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders, and HIAS. These are organizations with infrastructure in place to help with crisis response. And I’m actively seeking other organizations to support.
I never restrict my gift to the current crisis; these organizations are likely using funds donated from the last emergency to help with this one. By replenishing their reserves, I’m ensuring they’ll be ready to be deployed when the next crisis strikes.
In the comments, please let me know where you’re donating and why. I’d like to bring awareness to as many organizations with boots on the ground as possible.
2. Sending Supplies
In my Facebook feed, I’ve seen many members of my community collecting supplies. Mostly medical supplies, and at the beginning, teddy bears. It makes me wonder if a band-aid and a plush toy are what people fighting a war or fleeing a country need most right now. Not to mention, I wonder how these supplies will be distributed by random, unorganized groups.
I still have visions of the post-Sandy Hook shooting where truckloads of teddy bears were sent by well-meaning people — most of which likely ended up in the local dump.
It might feel good as donors to send real, tangible supplies. But as people who work in the nonprofit sector, we all know how much more useful monetary gifts are. Let people on the ground — who know what they’re doing and what they truly need — order and distribute the necessary supplies.
Our responsibility as fundraisers:
As fundraisers, it’s our collective responsibility to share how important it is to send money — not things. It falls on our shoulders to educate donors about why unrestricted financial contributions are what helps most.
What’s your experience with sending/receiving supplies? And how have you come to your conclusions? Add a comment below the post.
3. Helping Individual Ukrainians, One at a Time
There’s a movement to help Ukrainians one by one. The two most popular ways I’ve heard are through Etsy and booking an Airbnb to support homeowners in Ukraine.
Unfortunately, these are poor options for a variety of reasons. For now, let’s focus on two:
- First and foremost, these sites are now filled with people trying to make a buck off the situation. It’s nearly impossible to distinguish real people from fake.
- Second, while it may seem like a good idea to help one individual at a time, you really have no idea to whom you’re giving. As nonprofit professionals, I support organizations working on the ground who know the area and provide assistance in the ways needed most.
If you have $100 to spare, please don’t book an Airbnb — you never know who you’re supporting. Whereas $100 to the International Rescue Committee goes a long way.
4. Supporting Refugees
Another important action you can take right now is to support policies in the US that support refugees, immigrants, and students from all oppressed areas. Check out this article by editorialist Ilya Somin from the New York Times:
How the U.S. Can Help Refugees (and Weaken Vladimir Putin) »
Ilya argues in favor of policies that expand migration rights for Ukrainians… AND for Russians:
Expanded Russian emigration to the West would be a tremendous moral victory for the United States and other liberal democracies. During the Cold War, America welcomed refugees from the U.S.S.R., Cuba and other Communist nations in part for this very reason.
He makes some very good points.
Keeping Your Own Fundraising Going in Times of Crisis
Over at the Capital Campaign Toolkit, we’ve gotten a lot of questions about how to keep fundraising going in times of crisis. It appears almost everyone’s attention is currently diverted to Ukraine (not that that’s a bad thing).
So while that’s true for the moment, ask yourself:
Does the war in Ukraine make our cause / mission / organization any less important or relevant?
Perhaps your cause is less urgent in this exact moment. But in the days, weeks, and months ahead, your cause will be as important as it ever was. Don’t lose sight of that.
Don’t Pull Back on Your Fundraising
During times of crisis, organizations often pull back on their fundraising efforts and they end up losing out in the short and long term. Don’t fall into that trap — keep your fundraising efforts strong and focused in the months ahead.
Following that train of thought, we’re running a Mini-Campaign Boot Camp over at CCT that’s designed to help you learn precisely how to raise large amounts of money in a virtual sprint. The goal is to raise $100,000 or more in just eight weeks using campaign-style fundraising practices.
If learning these methods sounds like something you think can help your cause, then I encourage you to learn about the program. Our spring cohort starts in less than a month, but there are only a handful of seats left — so don’t wait.
Now I invite you to share your thoughts, opinions and comments below regarding how to best help the people in Ukraine. We all want this needless suffering to end. Please — chime in and share.
We help Ukraine by giving money to our church. They have organized efforts to get help to Ukraine.
We help Covenant House Michigan locally. http://www.covenanthouseMI.org to support youth who have faced homelessness and now safely reside at Covenant House Michigan for shelter and services.
During the last two years many family members have needed support.
Thanks for the post. I just donated to the IRC based on your recommendation as did my sister!
hi, great post Amy. I think you’re addressing a lot of things we’re all struggling with.
As someone who was a PR volunteer at the Red Cross, I’ve worked with a few disasters.
I can tell you that just starting to collect blankets, coats, towels, teddy bears etc. and other supplies does NOT help UNLESS the organization specifically asks for it.
It’s simply a logistical nightmare to get those items from here to a spot where they could possibly be useful. (And trust me, we all know that everybody means well).
Holding fundraisers in your local community to raise money for the refugees is great, but ALWAYS check with the organization you’re looking to donate it to, so they’re aware of it and everybody knows it’s legit too. (sadly some people abuse situations like this).
Money is much more helpful because organizations that have been around the block with disasters like this can tap into their specific suppliers to get exactly what’s needed to go where it’s needed most as quickly as possible.
And yes, this could take away from other fundraising but if you just stick to the plan, you’ll do alright… (and this is just another example of the importance of finding those monthly donors to support your organization, no matter what happens!).
Amy,
A wonderful post, and very thought provoking. Its been heavy on my heart lately that so many families had the terrible decision of leaving behind loved ones and pets. There are rescue organizations helping with homeless pets and trying to relocate zoo animals, but some of them are groups I’ve never heard of and I hesitate to send money in case of scams. (Isnt that a sad reality?) So I’ve been trying to stick with larger name charities whose work I can verify or that I am familiar with.
A dancer I’ve followed for years on Instagram is posting about his father who is fighting in Ukraine. He is sending care packages to his dad to be shared with the soldiers he encounters, as they run out of supplies. What a helpless feeling over all to know what to do…
Meanwhile, I totally agree with your comment about the unspecified funds. The brave people on those front lines can decide what is needed most. When someone finds an organization they trust or like the sounds of, send what you can. Every little bit helps.
Thank you for this post!
Molly
I agree 100% about making financial contributions to reputable organizations that are on the ground now. They understand the needs and have the “buying power” to make your dollars go further. Another great organization I would add is the Jesuit Refugee Service (jrsusa.org).
I am the Development Associate from Jewish Social Services of Madison. We offer a wide range of social services programs for people from all backgrounds, and we are a refugee resettlement affiliate of HIAS. Because of our immigration programs, we have had many callers looking for help for their family members who are/were in Ukraine. Amy’s point that tapping into organizations that are already established and have a local presence is correct. We have been able to connect callers to local resources to help arrange transportation and information about safe routes to leave Ukraine. In one case, reaching out to local resources resulted in a family who had been without food for several days, receiving donated supplies delivered to their bomb shelter.
One resource is the Jewish Joint Distribution Committee. Since the fall of the Soviet Union, JDC has had a large footprint in Ukraine. JDC is helping people in need regardless of their religious background. A second resource is HIAS. HIAS has a long history of helping refugees. They have the resources and infrastructure to respond to large-scale humanitarian crises. They have the expertise and capacity to help displaced people anywhere in the world. A third resource is Team Rubicon. Team Rubicon is an organization of US military veterans who do humanitarian relief. I’m super impressed with their work because they have demonstrated tremendous skill in logistics and communications. Team Rubicon’s response to the Afghan evacuee crisis was extraordinary. Fourth is the International Committee of the Red Cross. They also have the expertise and infrastructure to respond to large-scale humanitarian crises.
Amy’s point about sending money rather than things is also correct. When responding to a sudden humanitarian crisis, organizations need monetary donations. If one wants to donate items, donate the items that the organization asks for rather than making assumptions about what might be helpful. During the height of the Afghan evacuee crisis, Jewish Social Services of Madison and all our partner agencies were overwhelmed by the tsunami of calls from well-intended people who wanted to help by offering donated items. However, at that moment, what we needed was donations of money to help feed, clothe, and house newly arriving families. Responding to thousands of calls from generous people who wanted to donate things, strained our capacity to keep our entire team focused on serving clients. Team Rubicon found a creative solution to this challenge. They created Amazon wish lists and arranged for the establishment of Amazon processing centers at or near each of the U.S. military bases that were housing Afghan evacuees. This allowed them to efficiently acquire and process exactly the donated items that they needed.
It is so important that in having an emotional reaction that we make sure what we do does more than just make ourselves feel better – we want to actually help and make a difference. Finding legit and proven organizations and supporting them, is definitely the way to go. We do not want to either, line the pockets of those who would take advantage of a situation like this, or create more work for anyone on the other side (i.e. having to dispose of an overabundance of teddy bears).
Such a helpful post! Thank you!
I donate to the World Food Program USA, which is associated with the UN World Food Programme and has strong logistics expertise in getting food assistance into challenging areas. The website is here: https://www.wfpusa.org
Thank you for writing. I agree that giving money to reputable organizations already established is a good option. We particularly appreciate World Central Kitchen, in addition to those already mentioned. The situation calls for help now, and definitely in the future.
Great post, Amy! I’d add to your ‘worthy of your donations’ list the World Central Kitchen (chef Jose Andres’ organization) which is feeding refugees coming out of Ukraine
Thank you Amy. This is what’s been on all our minds.
I donate through Church of Jesus Christ Philanthropies / Latter-day Saint Charities. Because they anticipate crises (for example, moved into place around Ukraine’s borders well in advance of the invasion), and because they fundraise year round not just for a specific crisis (as many larger orgs do), they are ready to respond quickly and effectively when crisis happens. I trust them to offer the help that’s needed quickly, compassionately, and effectively – especially as they routinely partner with other orgs on the ground like Red Cross and IRC.