Donating for disaster relief
I saw a great public service announcement about disaster relief on TV yesterday, and the message felt so important that I have to share it with you. It also feels appropriate because on this date eight years ago, there was such a flurry of charity, of desire to help in any way possible, and of confusion about what kind of help would actually be useful. (I’m no Rudy Giuliani, but thanks to all of our repeated references to a yearless “September 11,” the memory seems just as fresh every year. I guess we meant it when we said “Never forget.”)
The PSA was by the Center for International Disaster Information, which “provides information and guidance in support of appropriate international disaster relief.” They cater to just about everyone—companies, NGOs, the general public—with coverage of specific disaster areas and general tips for donation and assistance. Here’s a similar ad; I couldn’t find the exact one I saw on TV.
In case you can’t play the video, or if you want more of an explanation, CIDI did a pretty thorough job of spelling it out succinctly in their Guidelines for Donating to a Disaster Incident (emphasis theirs):
Monetary Contributions to Established Relief Agencies are Always the Most Useful Response to Disasters
Financial contributions allow professional relief organizations to purchase exactly what is most urgently needed by disaster victims and to pay for the transportation necessary to distribute those supplies. Unlike in-kind donations, cash donations entail no transportation cost. In addition, cash donations allow relief supplies to be purchased at locations as near to the disaster site as possible. Supplies, particularly food, can almost always be purchased locally – even in famine situations. This approach has the triple advantage of stimulating local economies (providing employment, generating cash flow), ensuring that supplies arrive as quickly as possible and reducing transport and storage costs. Cash contributions to established legitimate relief agencies are always considerably more beneficial than the donation of commodities.
I never really thought about it this way before. I think many people haven’t; it’s much more satisfying to give a physical object because it’s easier to imagine someone using it. However, just because something’s easier to imagine doesn’t mean it’s true. And it’s always much more important that donations be helpful to the recipient than that they be satisfying to the giver.
At first I was startled by how specific a mission the CIDI appears to have, but they convinced me quickly that it is a vitally important and broadly applicable mission. I’m glad they’re out there, fighting the good fight.
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This is also a great PSA from a graphic design/artistic point of view. It’s very catching and simple, subdued, and muted, making it very affective, especially in the motion picture media where quick cuts and flashy CGI seem to be much more the norm.
I made a mistake on my web url. If one of the admins could correct it that would be great but the correct one is listed here
Fixed it, Emily.
And yeah, I like the design as well. It was the first place video in a PSA contest this year. (Sorry that it is auto-playing! I’ve been trying to fix that and the video is not cooperating.)
I’m very proud of this PSA, which I suppose is a weird thing to say because it’s not like I made it or anything. But it’s an example of a PSA doing exactly what its name means: public service. Everyone benefits from knowing this and this announcement makes charity more effective. Yay for the public good.
My rss feed is back, so you don’t have to deal with those cumbersome bookmarks anymore, Z.
. Sorry it took so long.