4. Think beyond the immediate crisis to the long-term.
5. Bear in mind the expertise of local organizations.
6. Find out how prospective grantees operate.
7. Be accountable to those you are trying to help.
8. Communicate your work widely, and use it as an educational tool.
Responding to the Cyclone in Burma
Updated May 14, 2008
The U.S. Treasury Department has issued a general license allowing the transmission of funds to Burma to support humanitarian relief.
Cyclone Nargis hit Burma on May 3 leaving at least 22,000 dead and thousands more missing. The United Nations estimates that 1.5 million people have been "severely affected". The humanitarian crisis has generated tremendous international attention and continues to escalate daily. The Burmese government formally requested emergency aid on May 5th, however, restrictions on the entrance and movement of international aid agency staff members have limited assessment and relief operations.
Several resources are available to get information about and support relief efforts.
AlertNet, a humanitarian news network from the Reuters
Foundation, provides detailed news updates on the extent
of damage and ongoing humanitarian relief efforts in
affected regions.
United Nations Information Center, one of the branch offices of the United Nations Department of Public Information, provides up-to-date information on the United Nations and its activities in Burma to a wide audience.
Please note: This resource is intended for grantmakers interested in responding to
the disaster in Burma and is provided for educational
and informational purposes only. Please consult the Disclaimer
for a full explanation of the purposes and limitations
of this information.
InterAction:
The largest alliance of U.S.-based international
development and humanitarian nongovernmental
organizations, provides details of member response
to the cyclone in Burma. InterAction members agree to abide by
a set
of standards to ensure accountability to donors.
Give2Asia: The Disaster Recovery Fund delivers aid for critical projects when disasters strike in Asia. Give2Asia’s network in 21 countries across the Asia-Pacific region makes it possible to act quickly, and fund local groups with established ties to affected communities.
GlobalGiving:
The web-based initiative connects donors to projects worldwide. Links to major relief and recovery organizations providing assistance in Burma are listed on their website.
Intermediary
Grantmaking Organizations: Intermediaries are
generally public charities that offer fee
based-services designed to meet the needs of
grantmakers and individuals who wish to give outside
the country in which they are based but prefer not
to take on the responsibilities of doing so
directly. This section is organized by issue
area and geographic focus.
Government and Multilateral agencies
United
Nations ReliefWeb: A project of the United
Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs, this website serves as a clearing house for
information relating to cyclone affected areas. This
page provides updates on who is doing what in the
area, lists current appeals and tracks
contributions. Also included in this page is a link
to the most current situation report from the United
Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian
Affairs (OCHA).
United
Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF):
UNICEF is working with partners and the government to procure and distribute additional essential drugs and other relief supplies. It is also working to restore water and sanitation services; provide temporary learning spaces, establish safe spaces for thousands of children in need of protection and treatment, and assist in the identification and reunification of separated children with their families.
U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID):
The U.S. Government's development assistance agency
makes available on its website estimates of the
extent of damage from the cyclone along with
specifics of U.S. government assistance. USAID
also provides general
information on how to help those affected by a
disaster overseas.
General Resources for Disaster Grantmaking
Disaster Grantmaking: A Practical Guide for Foundations and Corporations: A joint product of the Council on Foundations and the European Foundation Centre, this free publication suggests eight principles, listed on the left, plus practical tips for grantmakers to consider when responding to emergency situations. Download the PDF.
Disaster Relief: Providing Assistance Through Charitable Organizations: Prepared by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service Exempt and Government Entities division. Although this publication does not focus on international grantmaking it extends advice on how to give through existing U.S. charitable organizations, how to set up a new charitable organization and the requirements for documentation. Download it here (in PDF).
Arabella Philanthropic Investment Advisors hosted an emergency teleconference on Monday, May 12 to brief donors about relief and recovery needs and effective philanthropic strategies in response to the Myanmar (Burma) disaster. Please click on this link for a summary of that teleconference.
