Should We All Be Giving to Haiti?

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In times of crisis like this, tons of money flows to relief organizations. Most donations that come in are earmarked for the region in question. After the great tsunami in Indonesia, billions of dollars in aid was given to help rebuild. In a similar vein, current donations are almost all earmarked for relief efforts in Haiti.

While it's understandable that people feel compassion for Haiti, we would do well to remember that there are many other worthwhile projects going on around the globe. Many organizations are working with AIDS orphans in Africa. Others are drilling wells or teaching sustainable agriculture in Saharan Africa. Still others make micro-loans to women in Southeast Asia to grant those women more empowerment and freedom.

Some agencies lament that giving for these vital, ongoing projects tends to dry up when a major catastrophe like the Haitian earthquake occurs. Many relief agencies have global works and they could use money for other worthwhile projects, but they are obliged to honor the wishes of donors who designate their donations for Haiti. The Haitian work will require tons of money, yes, but the logjam of relief work there means that some valuable gifts will sit in bank accounts for years while plans get drawn up.

My father-in-law pointed out an excellent commentary published through Reuters news service. You can read the article here. The author is not opposed to charitable giving. His intent seems to be that we should give unrestricted money and allow our chosen agency to use the money wherever they need it most. Haiti will slowly get what it needs. Relief agencies need flexibility, however, to use money for the next emergency or for other projects already underway. So you might consider giving in this manner.

Let there be peace...

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