I just did.
If there are people who can’t afford to donate, perhaps each one us who can afford to donate more can do so for person one who can’t afford it because they are unemployed or otherwise broke.
Are you donating through the Red Cross or some other affiliation? I’d like to but I have no idea which would be the best in their use of funds.
I donated through the Red Cross and I’ll donate through the HSUS when the animal effort is coordinated.
I just donated to the Red Cross online - the Canadian government is apparently matching private donations dollar for dollar up to a certain figure. We figured the Red Cross is a safe charity, and they are in the business of disaster relief - they’ll make good use of the money.
I donated to Doctors without Borders and also to the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee.
If you go to Charity Navigator, they have a list of organizations that are involved in Haitian Earthquake Relief. You can click on each one and get a breakdown of how much of their money is spent on administration vs. actual aid and some other information about them.
So do CNN.com have many different organizations listed that you can choose from. I picked Shelterbox.
My firm’s charitable foundation is matching donations; I wrote them a check for $100 this morning.
Since I preferred to give to a charity that was specific to the country, I chose Hope for Haiti. They may not have the clout of some of the major players, but they are certainly dedicated — and Charity Navigator gives them a 98.2 rating, so very little of my donation will go to waste.
I chose “want to donate but don’t have the money,” but that’s not entirely accurate. I want to, I just haven’t yet. I will, though.
I don’t particularly like your no option is phrased, but that is what I chose.
I certainly have the money, but I donate to various charities throughout the year, including those that help in rescue work and don’t really feel the need to pony up for specific disasters. Having said that if someone handed me a $100 and said why don’t you go and donate this to a Haitian Relief Fund, I certainly would take the money and do as such.
In the UK, I choose the Disasters Emergency Committee, which is a clearing house for funds that it channels to whichever NGO needs it most at the time. It’s a good system.
I gave to Save the Children. I am terribly lazy about donating to charities so as soon as I saw this thread I opened a window and donated online.
I put down $100, but it is kind of $200 since my company matches it.
I donated to Doctors without Borders after the Tsunami. My regret is that I then got mail for a long time after (still?) soliciting more money. I would donate more and more often if I knew how to do it anonymously, yet confident it gets where it needs to be.
My goal is $50 but it may be in stages due to the employment situation.
I don’t like your “no” option as it makes out that those of us who chose not to specially donate to this are heartless and callous.
I donate throughout the year to various charities, some of which are like a big pot of cash that gets siphoned off to wherever it is most needed. I assume that a proportion of that will already be going to Haiti without me needing to make a separate one-off donation to a different place.
I donated £5 to the Oxfam relief fund. I will probably donate more after I’ve been paid, when my the rest of my charitable direct debits are due to come off.
My intent for this poll was have donations made on behalf of the people who wanted to but couldn’t.
Lots of people donate thoughout the year and don’t donate to special funds. It’s not a mark of shame. The “I do not want to donate even if soneone else pays for it” was to sift out the people who wanted to give but couldn’t from the people who wouldn’t give money to Haitian relief even if it rained $20 bills at noontime every day.
In another thread about the disaster, someone commented that they were feeling terrible about not being able to give or give more (I’m paraphrasing, I don’t remember their exact words). I felt bad because it’s a very helpless feeling to want to help but not be able to.
Clears that up nicely, thanks!
I just donated to Shelterbox. That is SO COOL! I often think about ways that disaster victims or even just very poor people could be helped, and my thoughts usually go toward giving them practical tools for survival and comfort. So the Shelterbox is really right up my alley. I love the fact that they send coloring books for the kids! And that they customize the boxes based on where they’re going. (Mosquito nets for malaria-prone areas for example)
FWIW, I also really like the Tide detergent thing where they go and wash clothes for disaster victims. Boy, that is something that would make me feel so much better!
For anybody else that wants to donate there–note that it is a UK site so when you enter your donation amount it’s in pounds. The next screen will do the conversion for you, but you might have to go back and adjust.
I wish this poll wasn’t public, though. Is there a way to have it changed?