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 Bangladesh
Last Updated December 4, 2007
Cyclone Sidr caused severe damage in parts of Bangladesh after the storm system intensified to a Category 4-equivalent cyclone on November
16th. Around two million people were evacuated and thousands are missing or injured in the aftermath of the cyclone. At least 3,447 deaths were reported and the Red Crescent in Bangladesh expects the death toll to reach as high as 10,000. Strong winds and floods have flattened coastal areas, caused severe damage to several cities including Dhaka, and destroyed about a quarter of the Sunderbans mangrove forests--a World Heritage site.
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.
This resource is intended for grantmakers interested in responding to
the disaster in Bangladesh and is provided for educational
purposes only. Please consult the Disclaimer
for a full explanation of the purposes and limitations
of this information.
The Grameen
Bank is accepting donations to support immediate
relief and long-term
rehabilitation efforts in response to Cyclone Sidr.
NGOs and Foundations
InterAction:
The largest alliance of U.S.-based international
development and humanitarian nongovernmental
organizations, provides details of member response
to the cyclone in Bangladesh. InterAction members agree to abide by
a set
of standards to ensure accountability to donors.
Give2Asia:
Give2Asia, in
conjunction with the Asia Foundation, is working
with a broad network of local partner organizations
throughout Bangladesh to plan and coordinate relief
and recovery efforts in affected regions.The
Give2Asia Disaster Recovery Fund is accepting
contributions to support these efforts.
Global
Fund for Children (GFC): GFC has disbursed
emergency funds to two grantee partners in
Bangladesh that are participating in relief and
recovery efforts.
GlobalGiving:
The Fund for Bangladesh is accepting contributions
to support organizations that are working with vulnerable communities in Bangladesh,
including those supporting victims of the cyclone.
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
and other UN agencies are providing relief to help
the authorities respond to the emergency needs of
children and families in the cyclone-affected
regions.
U.S.
Agency for International Development (USAID):
The U.S. Government's foreign 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).
