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 Flooding in Southern Mexico
Last Updated November 7, 2007
This resource is intended for grantmakers interested in responding to the humanitarian crisis in the southern Mexican states of Tabasco and Chiapas. In Tabasco, several rivers burst
their banks and heavy rains
left 70 percent of the swampy region under water. In neighboring Chiapas, a mudslide caused by heavy rains engulfed houses and stranded people in a remote village. Several U.S. NGOs and foundations have sprung into action to provide medicines, water, shelter, food , and other relief supplies. AlertNet, a humanitarian news network from the Reuters Foundation, provides timely news coverage of the situation in Tabasco.
The following resources are provided for educational purposes only. Please consult the Disclaimer for a full explanation of the purposes and limitations of this information.
InterAction: InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international development and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations, lists member NGOs that are accepting contributions for assistance they or their affiliates are providing to those affected by the floods in Mexico. InterAction members agree to abide by a set of standards to ensure accountability to donors.
International Community Foundation (ICF): ICF has initiated a campaign to provide emergency relief to the state of Tabasco through the foundation’s International Water Emergency Relief Fund, which provides immediate relief to communities and victims of natural disasters in need of safe drinking water and health and sanitation systems in Mexico, the Caribbean and Central America.
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: Access news updates relating to this disaster from a variety from sources including NGOs, governments, and the UN and other multilateral organizations. ReliefWeb is a project of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF): UNICEF and other UN agencies are providing emergency relief to meet the needs of children in the affected region in conjunction with the United Nations Emergency Team in Mexico.
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).
