California Wild fire relief efforts: How you can help

California Wild fire relief efforts: How you can help: "Wild fire relief efforts: How you can help The devastating wildfires in Southern California have caused at least $1 billion in damage in San Diego County alone, charring more than 650 square miles and destroying over 1,500 homes from Malibu to just north of the Mexican border. Community foundations in the areas hardest hit have established funds to help the individuals and areas impacted by the wildfires"

2theadvocate.com | News | Report: Help of nonprofits running dry — Baton Rouge, LA

2theadvocate.com | News | Report: Help of nonprofits running dry — Baton Rouge, LA: "The nonprofit sector’s response to the 2005 hurricanes has been unprecedented, but, with money for volunteer services running low and “Katrina fatigue’’ running high across the nation, it is time for the government to take the ball and drive the recovery, a report released Monday stressed.

“The scale of the devastation is so vast in Louisiana and across the Mississippi Gulf Coast that only the government has the capacity to handle significant rebuilding,’’ the Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana and the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government said in a joint report."

Realty Times -Hurricane Relief Update: Foreclosures, Housing, Taxes

Realty Times - Real Estate News and Advice: "Several federal agencies recently extended or clarified relief efforts for Gulf Coast residents suffering the devastating effects of storms that battered the region this year. On December 1st, both Freddie Mac extended foreclosure suspensions on homes and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) continued paying the hotel bills of nearly 50,000 hurricane area evacuees."

Burlington Free Press.com | Local/Vermont-Professor explores disaster-aid rejection

Burlington Free Press.com | Local/Vermont: "Travis Nelson, an assistant professor of political science at the University of Vermont, has been studying this curious phenomenon. He counted 129 major global disasters over the past 25 years of an 'immediate' nature -- quakes, floods, tsunamis, storms -- with death tolls of at least 500. He discovered that in 24 cases -- about 20 percent -- the victimized country refused at least some of the aid being offered."

Disaster response group settles in case of Katrina donations - October 1, 2007

Disaster response group settles in case of Katrina donations - October 1, 2007: "Disaster response group settles in case of Katrina donations Printer-friendly version Noah's Wish, a nonprofit organization out of California that responds to the needs of animals affected by disasters, has agreed to a settlement following an investigation into how the group handled donations after Hurricane Katrina. The annual budget of Noah's Wish normally averaged $210,000, according to California's attorney general, but the group raised more than $8 million after Katrina and spent $1.5 million on responding to the hurricane."

Postbulletin.com: Life Vest: 12 hours of music for flood relief - Sun, Sep 16, 2007

Postbulletin.com: Life Vest: 12 hours of music for flood relief - Sun, Sep 16, 2007: "Life Vest: 12 hours of music for flood relief 9/17/2007 6:38:52 AM By Dawn Schuett Post-Bulletin, Rochester MN In the midst of flood recovery, peopled gathered Sunday in Rochester to throw a 'Life Vest' for those affected by the disaster. A fundraising concert and event -- dubbed 'Life Vest' by organizers -- brought together a dozen bands performing nearly 12 hours of music at the Rochester International Event Center and $20,000 in items donated by individuals and businesses for a silent auction and raffle. Ray Samson, executive director of the event center, said the benefit concert was a way organizers can help flood victims, including some of his employees, in their time of need."

Features | Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers

Features | Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers: "n several coastal hamlets in Sri Lanka the tide has turned for potters, batik designers and other entrepreneurs whose small-scale businesses were hit hard by the December 2004 tsunami. Boost for pottery Their trades are bouncing back and incomes increasing thanks to some post-tsunami assistance from developing countries."

Reuters AlertNet - SRI LANKA: Small grants turn tide for tsunami-hit entrepreneurs

Reuters AlertNet - SRI LANKA: Small grants turn tide for tsunami-hit entrepreneurs: "BENTOTA, 14 September 2007 (IRIN) - SRI LANKA: Small grants turn tide for tsunami-hit entrepreneurs BENTOTA, 14 September 2007 (IRIN) - In several coastal hamlets in Sri Lanka the tide has turned for potters, batik designers and other entrepreneurs whose small-scale businesses were hit hard by the December 2004 tsunami. Their trades are bouncing back and incomes increasing thanks to some post-tsunami assistance from developing countries."

Aust pledges aid after Indonesian quake - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Aust pledges aid after Indonesian quake - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation): "Aust pledges aid after Indonesian quake By Jakarta correspondent Geoff Thompson Posted Thu Sep 13, 2007 8:20pm AEST As fears ease over the extent of damage caused by last night's massive 8.4 magnitude earthquake off the coast of Sumatra, the Australian Government has provided $50,000 in assistance through the Indonesian Red Cross."

The Asia Foundation Puts Mobile Libraries in Motion for Local Sri Lankan Communities - Press Release

The Asia Foundation Puts Mobile Libraries in Motion for Local Sri Lankan Communities - Press Release: "COLOMBO, Sri Lanka, Sept. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- The Asia Foundation is launching a new mobile library initiative aimed at helping an estimated 80,000 families and children who do not have access to the existing library services in four local authorities. Many of these communities were devastated by the tsunami, and schools and libraries are still in the process of being rebuilt. The mobile library initiative is being launched with support from the AIG Disaster Relief Fund (DRF), and Give2Asia, an organization founded by The Asia Foundation to promote philanthropy to Asia."

Chippewa.com

Chippewa.com: "When you stroll the streets of New Orleans, there are people coming and going, street musicians belting out tunes and horns blaring. Not to mention the wonderful smells of creole cooking and sweet sounds of hammers pounding. The city has come a long way since Aug. 29, 2005, when Hurricane Katrina hit. According to “The Katrina Index,” created by the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center, applications for new housing construction permits have now soared above pre-Katrina levels, enrollment numbers are rising at elementary and secondary schools and unemployment levels, which used to be extremely high, are back down below the national average. In addition, millions of cubic yards of debris have been cleared away and the levees are in the process of being rebuilt."

Nicaraguans Survey Hurricane’s Wreckage - New York Times

Nicaraguans Survey Hurricane’s Wreckage - New York Times: "TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras, Sept. 5 — Hurricane Felix spared much of Central America, but residents of the poor coastal communities of Nicaragua, where the storm struck land at full force, picked through the wreckage of their wooden huts on Wednesday and lamented losing the little they had. The Nicaraguan government’s estimates of the death toll varied Wednesday, with one official saying at least 18 people had died since the storm hit Tuesday and another saying the figure was at least 38, according to wire services. Scores more were missing, the wire services said."

Local voices from Katrina relief missions- al.com

Local voices from Katrina relief missions- al.com: "Here are some excerpts from recent reports received at The Huntsville Times from people who have worked or lived in the coastal areas affected by the 2005 hurricanes: St. Stephen's members first became involved in Katrina relief efforts at the processing center at First Baptist Church. We also worked in a coalition of area Episcopal churches to send supplies to Camp Coast Care in Long Beach, Miss., which is operated by Lutheran Episcopal Services."

Two Years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: The Charitable Response - General - Advocacy Blog - OMB Watch

Two Years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: The Charitable Response - General - Advocacy Blog - OMB Watch: "Two Years since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita: The Charitable Response Nearly two years have passed since Hurricanes Katrina and Rita and now is a perfect time to look at the charitable work in the area in terms of what has been accomplished, what needs to be done, and how charities point out the inequities that remain. The Chronicle of Philanthropy ($$) spotlights this discussion of charities and the hurricane recovery through a series of articles. An important point to discuss two years later is that charitable funds are still drastically needed."

BAW: Reopened MLK Charter School a Guidepost for New Orleans’ Post-Katrina Education Model

BAW: Reopened MLK Charter School a Guidepost for New Orleans’ Post-Katrina Education Model: "According to recent reports, less than 60 percent of the Lower Ninth’s pre-Katrina population has returned to the neighborhood. However, 70 percent of King’s students and 90 percent of the staff have returned. Before Hurricane Katrina’s flood waters swept through Martin Luther King Jr. School and its adjacent library in the New Orleans Lower Ninth Ward, every student had a library card, and so did most of their parents, says Principal Doris Hicks."

Golfers raise $20,000 for plane crash victims -- OrlandoSentinel.com

Golfers raise $20,000 for plane crash victims -- OrlandoSentinel.com: "With an urgency to provide help quickly, auction items, donations, golfers and 36 professionals in the sport were rounded up in three weeks to raise money for local families in a tragedy. The Mike Bender Golf Academy and the Timacuan Golf Club, which is owned and operated by Kitson & Partners Clubs, hosted the Mike Bender Charity Pro-Am tournament and clinic on Aug. 3 to benefit families of victims of a July airplane crash in Sanford."

La Crosse Tribune - 6.0

La Crosse Tribune - 6.0: "$313,000 collected for flood victims By RYAN STOTTS / La Crosse Tribune . The flood of 2007 in the region triggered a similar outpouring of money Friday, with more than $300,000 donated during a 12-hour fundraiser in downtown La Crosse."

FEMA reverses controversial policy that would have left nonprofits and public entities on the hook for millions - Money - Times-Picayune - NOLA.com

FEMA reverses controversial policy that would have left nonprofits and public entities on the hook for millions - Money - Times-Picayune - NOLA.com: "FEMA reverses controversial policy that would have left nonprofits and public entities on the hook for millions Posted by rmowbray August 24, 2007 9:08PM 9:10 p.m., Friday The Federal Emergency Management Agency has reversed a controversial insurance policy that would have left nonprofits and public entities on the hook for millions of dollars the next time a major storm strikes the New Orleans area, the agency said Friday. 'We have rescinded that policy,' said Gil Jamieson, the agency's Associate Deputy Administrator for Gulf Coast Recovery. 'It has caused a real furor down here. This was not the message we wanted to send to the business community.'"

North Jersey Media Group providing local news, sports & classifieds for Northern New Jersey!

North Jersey Media Group providing local news, sports & classifieds for Northern New Jersey!: "CLIFTON – People gathered with a Hispanic fraternity Thursday night in the backyard of a Broad Street home to raise money for those affected by the massive Aug. 15 earthquake near Lima, Peru. The event, sponsored by Lambda Theta Phi, was designed to attract as many as 200 people, with a goal of raising $10,000, said Ray Lago, who organized the event."

Nonprofits frustrated by new FEMA requirements - Money - Times-Picayune - NOLA.com

Nonprofits frustrated by new FEMA requirements - Money - Times-Picayune - NOLA.com: "Nonprofits frustrated by new FEMA requirements Posted by kquillen August 22, 2007 7:18PM 7:20 p.m., Wednesday About sixty stunned representatives of local hospitals, schools, universities, cultural institutions, churches and other nonprofits or governmental bodies expressed frustration Wednesday at what they believe are unrealistic new insurance and deductible requirements from the Federal Emergency Management Agency."

Death toll nears 500 in Peru earthquake | Video: Los Angeles Times Travel

Death toll nears 500 in Peru earthquake | Video: Los Angeles Times Travel: "IMA, PERU, 9:15 PM PDT -- The death toll in a massive earthquake that battered Peru's Pacific coast soared toward 500 on Thursday as rescue workers struggled to reach scenes of devastation and stunned victims appealed for medical aid, water and coffins."

TwinCities.com - Disaster aid, and where it ends, is never simple

TwinCities.com - Disaster aid, and where it ends, is never simple: "Disaster aid, and where it ends, is never simple
EDWARD LOTTERMAN
Article Last Updated: 08/01/2007 09:26:08 PM CDT

Most people support government aid to victims of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina or the San Francisco earthquake. Most people don't think such aid is warranted when hail knocks out windows or trees fall on a few roofs. Drawing the line between these two extremes isn't easy.

Aiding those who suffer from disasters is a common function of government that goes back to the dawn of civilization. Spreading the risks of everyday life over a large group was one of the primary social functions of a tribe or clan. If you were part of the group, you knew that you or your family would get help when something bad happened."

Katrina Volunteers Feel Unwanted - New York Times

Katrina Volunteers Feel Unwanted - New York Times: "Katrina Volunteers Feel Unwanted

*
GULFPORT, Miss. (AP) -- They gave Greg Porter the key to the city for his volunteer work after Hurricane Katrina. Then, he says, they showed him the door.

Porter received widespread acclaim -- including an award from the White House -- for founding God's Katrina Kitchen, a faith-based relief operation that has served more than 1 million meals to the storm's victims and the volunteers who helped them."

Largely Alone, Pioneers Reclaim New Orleans - New York Times

Largely Alone, Pioneers Reclaim New Orleans - New York Times
t

News & Broadcast - Global Gathering Seeks to Reduce Disaster Risk

News & Broadcast - Global Gathering Seeks to Reduce Disaster Risk: "The Indian Ocean tsunami catastrophe, with its 270,000 deaths and high damage costs, stirred new interest around the world in responding to and preparing for natural disasters, especially in countries where large numbers of people live in threatened areas."

First docudrama about Hurricane Katrina released | HOUSTON METRO | KHOU.com | News for Houston, Texas

First docudrama about Hurricane Katrina released | HOUSTON METRO | KHOU.com | News for Houston, Texas: "A struggle to survive the streets of New Orleans and then Hurricane Katrina; survival came via Houston in the first docudrama released about Katrina.

Among its targets, the largest housing project in America - desire.

“Waters Rising” is a violent docudrama about gangsters who unexpectedly get a second chance."

Channelnewsasia.com

Channelnewsasia.com: "SINGAPORE: A big housing project in tsunami-hit Aceh is almost complete.

Habitat for Humanity, the group behind the massive effort, outlined the challenges faced, in a news conference in Singapore on Friday.

The non-governmental organisation (NGO) helped build 1,500 homes with a budget of S$18 million"

Bloomberg.com: Australia & New Zealand

Bloomberg.com: Australia & New Zealand: "Labor will also establish an Asian counter-disaster organization in Australia to monitor and warn about tsunamis, cyclones and earthquakes. An earthquake and tsunami in southern Asia in 2005, killed an estimated 170,000 people and left 5 million homeless in 12 countries."

NPR : Millions Worth of Katrina Aid Forfeited by U.S.

NPR : Millions Worth of Katrina Aid Forfeited by U.S.: "Millions Worth of Katrina Aid Forfeited by U.S."

Most Katrina Aid From Overseas Went Unclaimed - washingtonpost.com

Most Katrina Aid From Overseas Went Unclaimed - washingtonpost.com: "Most Katrina Aid From Overseas Went Unclaimed

By John Solomon and Spencer S. Hsu
Washington Post Staff Writers
Sunday, April 29, 2007; Page A01

As the winds and water of Hurricane Katrina were receding, presidential confidante Karen Hughes sent a cable from her State Department office to U.S. ambassadors worldwide.

Titled 'Echo-Chamber Message' -- a public relations term for talking points designed to be repeated again and again -- the Sept. 7, 2005, directive was unmistakable: Assure the scores of countries that had pledged or donated aid at the height of the disaster that their largesse had provided Americans 'practical help and moral support' and 'highlight the concrete benefits hurricane victims are receiving.'"

Australia pledges $2m in help, more if needed - World - Home

Australia pledges $2m in help, more if needed - World - Home: "AUSTRALIA will give an initial $2 million to help the Solomon Islands deal with the tsunami which has killed at least 15 people.

The Foreign Affairs Minister, Alexander Downer, said the Government had made an initial offer of up to $2 million in emergency assistance to the Solomon Islands Government. 'The Australian Government is particularly concerned by reports of possible loss of life in Solomon Islands,' he said."

The World Today - Recovery efforts underway in the Solomons

The World Today - Recovery efforts underway in the Solomons: "Recovery efforts underway in the Solomons
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The World Today - Tuesday, 3 April , 2007 12:10:00
Reporter: Barbara Miller
ELEANOR HALL: But first today to the Solomons, where locals trying to deal with the devastation of yesterday's disaster have been hit by another earthquake.

Initial reports indicate that today's quake measured 6.2 on the Richter scale. But it hasn't triggered a tsunami warning.

A more powerful earthquake and tsunami yesterday is thought to have killed at least 20 people and left thousands without shelter."

Philanthropy Today: Sudan Suspends Aid Groups in Darfur

Philanthropy Today: Sudan Suspends Aid Groups in Darfur: "Sudan Suspends Aid Groups in Darfur

Sudan has temporarily suspended 52 local nonprofit groups working in South Darfur that did not comply with regulations, a government official told Reuters.

“Some of these NGOs are only present in name—they don’t have offices, no vehicles, they have nothing, just their bags and papers and a stamp,” Jamal Youssef Idriss, from the government’s Humanitarian Aid Commission, told the wire service. About 100 Sudanese nonprofit groups are working in Darfur."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

Northwest native helps youth help hurricane victims in the South

Northwest native helps youth help hurricane victims in the South: "“We are taking our high school youth on a trip that replaces our summer camps, and we are working on Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. This is a sort of service camp for the youth and it ends up being a great opportunity for them, as well as a really great thing for all the people down in the area that was hit by the hurricane. There is still so much to do and we can really help and make a difference,” she explained."

Inside Bay Area - Network of nonprofits vital to disaster response

Inside Bay Area - Network of nonprofits vital to disaster response: "Network of nonprofits vital to disaster response
Article Last Updated: 03/01/2007 05:20:50 AM PST

WE'VE learned a lot since the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the calamitous response to Hurricane Katrina. Whether the disaster is manmade or natural, being prepared makes all the difference. In the Bay Area, where we live with the certainty of a major earthquake, the lessons are all the more relevant.

One of the lessons is the crucial role of nonprofit organizations as the major sources of shelter, food and other necessities during disasters. A new collective has formed to improve the preparation, cooperation and coordination of such organizations. A coordinated approach is not only smart, it's a must."

Microsoft CEO, Ballmer, Visits New Orleans With Katrina Gift

Microsoft CEO, Ballmer, Visits New Orleans With Katrina Gift: "Microsoft’s CEO, Steve Ballmer, came to New Orleans area to an economic revitalization package that will assist victims of Hurricane Katrina by a donation of $1.7 million in donations of cash, software and specialized curriculum to several nonprofit partners in Louisiana and Texas. Microsoft is supporting existing local government, academic and nonprofit organizations as they rebuild and establish community infrastructure, technology and work-force training centers. These centers support displaced residents in accessing the technology skills training they need to succeed in today’s technology-driven economy."

Volunteer Group Lags in Replacing Gulf Houses - New York Times

Volunteer Group Lags in Replacing Gulf Houses - New York Times: "Correction Appended

BAY ST. LOUIS, Miss. — In the two years following the 2004 tsunami in the Indian Ocean, Habitat for Humanity International, the nondenominational Christian ministry, built or repaired 8,500 houses in Indonesia, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka."

ESPN.com - NCAA - UCF students spur national effort to help New Orleans

ESPN.com - NCAA - UCF students spur national effort to help New Orleans: "A group of sports business management students at the University of Central Florida on Wednesday announced the creation of a new foundation and a national student-led effort to help Hurricane Katrina relief efforts in New Orleans.

Students from the DeVos Sport Business Management Graduate Program at UCF, with the National Consortium for Academics and Sport and the DeVos Program, started the Hope for Stanley Foundation [www.HopeforStanley.org] to organize students from more than 150 other sport business management programs and student-athletes from among the 220 NCAS-member colleges and universities. The New Orleans City Council is helping."

Reuters AlertNet - WITNESS-Rolling up my sleeves after the tsunami

Reuters AlertNet - WITNESS-Rolling up my sleeves after the tsunami: "ADAPAKKAM, India, Feb 15 (Reuters) - A laptop, notebook and pens are my usual travelling tools. I never expected to be packing a hard hat, steel-capped boots and a pile of dust masks.

But they were on the 'must bring' list for 20 Reuters employees who had volunteered to spend a week building houses for a community devastated by the Indian Ocean tsunami."

Money on the way for flood victims in Indonesia - New Europe News: #1 The European News Source

Money on the way for flood victims in Indonesia - New Europe News: #1 The European News Source: "The European Commission on February 7 said it was sending some 600,000 Euro in emergency aid to help the victims of ongoing floods in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta. EU funds will be used to provide some 340,000 most affected people with food, clean water, emergency shelter and health services."

Fla. storm victims complain of red tape - Yahoo! News

Fla. storm victims complain of red tape - Yahoo! News: "Some victims of the severe storms that hit Florida complained of delays and red tape Monday as they sought disaster aid, despite assurances from federal officials that the government had learned from its response to Hurricane Katrina."

FEMA wants over $300M in Katrina aid back - Yahoo! News

FEMA wants over $300M in Katrina aid back - Yahoo! News: "n the neighborhood
President Bush visited right after Hurricane Katrina, the U.S. government gave $84.5 million to more than 10,000 households. But Census figures show fewer than 8,000 homes existed there at the time.
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Now the government wants back a lot of the money it disbursed across the region.

The Federal Emergency Management Administration has determined nearly 70,000 Louisiana households improperly received $309.1 million in grants, and officials acknowledge those numbers are likely to grow."

Tampa Bay Newspapers : Front Page

Tampa Bay Newspapers : Front Page : "Cash donations needed
Killer tornadoes leave path of destruction
PINELLAS COUNTY – The death count rose to as many as 20 on Sunday, as officials continued to assess the damage from three killer tornadoes that tore through central Florida early Friday morning.

As of Saturday night, the state medical examiners office had confirmed 15 deaths, and the National Weather Service’s preliminary damage surveys reported 20 known deaths attributable to at least three separate tornadoes.

Gov. Charlie Crist declared a state of emergency on Friday for Lake, Seminole, Sumter and Volusia counties due to the massive destruction caused by the storms. President George Bush on Sunday signed a federal declaration of emergency for the same counties."

Press Releases: South Asia: Earthquake - Oct 2005, Pakistan: Korean volunteer team helps build 40 shelters for Pakistan earthquake survivors

Press Releases: South Asia: Earthquake - Oct 2005, Pakistan: Korean volunteer team helps build 40 shelters for Pakistan earthquake survivors: "Pakistan: Korean volunteer team helps build 40 shelters for Pakistan earthquake survivors


Volunteers include Pakistani student who returns to hometown to assist

BALAKOT, Pakistan, 30th January 2007: Amid near freezing temperatures, student volunteers from South Korea spent a week building more substantial homes for survivors of the October 2005 earthquake that devastated the area around Balakot, Pakistan."

Reuters AlertNet - Accountability: a report card

Reuters AlertNet - Accountability: a report card: "he story of humanitarian accountability is not yet one of success. After more than a decade of debate about performance, standards and giving beneficiaries a say, accountability problems continue to plague international disaster responses. A sector-wide study by the Tsunami Evaluation Coalition, published in July 2006, concluded that poor accountability to affected populations was a significant problem in the response to the Indian Ocean tsunami, and the UN Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery, Bill Clinton, has launched an 'intensive review' into accountability to beneficiaries. According to Save the Children, aid workers are still trading food aid for sex with young girls in Liberia – several years after this unacceptable practice was originally discovered. Displaced people in Darfur have told the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership (HAP) that they feel undervalued by NGOs, know little about what these organisations are trying to achieve, and – therefore – do not cooperate with them. A survey of 320 informed individuals, conducted by HAP in March 2006, showed a majority view that relief agencies were unaccountable to intended beneficiaries. Some 81% of respondents said the quality of accountability to beneficiaries was 'low' or 'medium' – while 82% said that accountability to official donors was 'high'."

2theadvocate.com | News | Charity revamps disaster operation

2theadvocate.com | News | Charity revamps disaster operation: "Cross’ abilities as they have never been tested before, and critics said the charity didn’t measure up.

But one strength seemed intact for the 126-year-old charity: its ability to raise money.

Donors gave the Red Cross about $2.14 billion in the months after hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma struck the Gulf Coast. The agency spent about $1.9 billion of it on disaster victims, Laura Howe, a spokeswoman for the Red Cross’ Washington, D.C., office, said Friday."

U.N. envoy says officials working to deter and uncover tsunami aid corruption - Americas - International Herald Tribune

U.N. envoy says officials working to deter and uncover tsunami aid corruption - Americas - International Herald Tribune: "U.N. envoy says officials working to deter and uncover tsunami aid corruption
The Associated Press
Published: January 4, 2007

WASHINGTON: The United Nations deputy envoy for Asian tsunami rebuilding efforts said Thursday that officials are working to deter and uncover corruption associated with the billions of dollars (euros) international donors have pledged to people hurt by the 2004 disaster.

Eric Schwartz, deputy to former U.S. President Bill Clinton, the top U.N. envoy for tsunami recovery, said anti-corruption measures include databases designed to track financial contributions and to make that information available on the Internet.

Cooperation with some countries has been very good, while in other nations it has been 'much more slow going because of the complexities. But, nonetheless, serious effort has been made,' Schwartz told reporters at the National Press Club."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

The News Leader - www.newsleader.com - Staunton, Va.-Pastor recalls missionary trip

The News Leader - www.newsleader.com - Staunton, Va.: "Kline went to Kerala, India, with five other members of the Virginia Baptist Mission Board to help deliver school uniforms and supplies to 2,000 children. Families who lost all of their belongings in the tsunami couldn't comply with Indian government regulations that require children to wear uniforms to school.

The Virginia Baptist Mission Board, part of the Richmond-based Baptist General Association of Virginia, focused its tsunami relief efforts in the southern Indian states of Kerala and Tamil Nadu,"

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, NPTsunamiRelief

GAO says taxpayers are Katrina 'victims' | IndyStar.com

GAO says taxpayers are Katrina 'victims' | IndyStar.com: "GAO says taxpayers are Katrina 'victims'


Powered by Topix.net
USA Today
The government continues to waste tens of millions of dollars in its Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, including giving rent checks to evacuees already living in free housing and student aid to ineligible foreigners, U.S. investigators said this past week.

The Government Accountability Office also found that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has been able to recoup only $7 million of the more than $1 billion in improper payments identified by investigators months ago."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

People's Daily Online -- Aceh relief work far from expectation

People's Daily Online -- Aceh relief work far from expectation: "Aceh relief work far from expectation
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Despite achievements, reconstruction and rehabilitation in Indonesia's Aceh province in nearly two years after the tsunami are still far from people's expectation, scores of problems and lack of managerial capabilities are among the obstacles, said local officials and ex- rebel leaders.

Hundreds of survivors of the December 2004 catastrophe still live in barracks and tents, as they have yet got houses promised by the relief agency.

Of the 128,000 houses planned to be built, only some 50,000 so far have been delivered, spokesman of the Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Agency (BRR) Mirza Kumala said, adding that over 17, 000 others now were being reconstructed."

Bloggers Team Up with Online Nonprofit to Deliver Christmas to Katrina Families - Yahoo! News

Bloggers Team Up with Online Nonprofit to Deliver Christmas to Katrina Families - Yahoo! News: "The social media movement has sparked an adoption frenzy this holiday season and is changing the face of philanthropy. Thanks to www.postsanta.com, www.hurricane-katrina.org, and www.katrinasangels.org, three online, virtual entities, Christmas will arrive for families who are still struggling with the realities after Hurricane Katrina from those who want to make a real difference. The three Web sites not only highlight the ongoing difficulties for those in the New Orleans area trying to rebuild their lives, but they are also a vital link between those in need and those who want to donate food, money, even Christmas trees. They are all engaged in innovative, transformational, change the world media, with a shared vision to catalyze their online endeavors to help the Gulf Coast recover"

Tsunami parents forced to give up children - World - Times Online

Tsunami parents forced to give up children - World - Times Online: "Tsunami parents forced to give up children
Nick Meo

Parents impoverished by the 2004 tsunami are still being forced to put their children into orphanages because they cannot afford to care for them, according to a British charity.

Thousands of children in the Indonesian province of Aceh have been institutionalised, even though more than 85 per cent have at least one living parent and 42 per cent have both parents alive."

In the heat of US NGO pledges, Bill Clinton visits Tsunami-devastated South Asia Region to accelerate recovery | Asian Tribune

In the heat of US NGO pledges, Bill Clinton visits Tsunami-devastated South Asia Region to accelerate recovery | Asian Tribune: "Former U.S. president Bill Clinton as the UN Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Tsunami Recovery is now in the tsunami-affected Asian Region in the heat of positive pledges he received in October by major U.S. non-governmental organizations to accelerate the recovery process of 14 countries which lost 230,000 lives leaving 1.7 million homeless and destroying schools, hospitals, government buildings and other structures devastating the livelihood of millions."

The Cincinnati Post - Saints aid in Katrina healing

The Cincinnati Post - Saints aid in Katrina healing: "E-mail this Printer-friendly Subscribe RSS feeds

Saints aid in Katrina healing
Superdome serves as rallying point
By Kevin Goheen
Post staff reporter



Watching Monday night football games isn't out of the ordinary for Bengals defensive tackle Shaun Smith. Smith was particularly paying attention to the game on Sept. 25.

That was the night the Louisiana Superdome - which like the rest of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast region took the brunt of Mother Nature's force in the form of Hurricane Katrina in late August 2005 - reopened and hosted the New Orleans Saints and Atlanta Falcons."

Clinton says progress for tsunami victims is unmistakable — but tens of thousands still need homes - iht,news,UN Clinton Tsunami - News & Features - I

Clinton says progress for tsunami victims is unmistakable — but tens of thousands still need homes - iht,news,UN Clinton Tsunami - News & Features - International Herald Tribune: "Clinton says progress for tsunami victims is unmistakable — but tens of thousands still need homes
The Associated Press
Published: November 16, 2006

UNITED NATIONS: Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, the top U.N. envoy for the Indian Ocean tsunami recovery effort, told a final meeting of key players helping to rebuild devastated communities there has been significant progress — but tens of thousands of people still have no homes and finishing the job will take many years.

Clinton, whose two-year appointment as Secretary-General Kofi Annan's special envoy ends on Dec. 31, said one key lesson from the earthquake-triggered giant waves that devastated parts of a dozen countries is that 'governments must start preparing for future disasters now.'"

IDSnews.com-Greek students serve up Katrina relief in Mississippi

IDSnews.com: "Last weekend a group of 50 IU students traveled to Gulfport, Miss., to aid Hurricane Katrina relief efforts. The group, composed of greek students from 10 chapters on campus, volunteered at God's Katrina Kitchen, a nonprofit organization, serving meals to displaced families and helping the organization move its campsite to a new location."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

Hong Kong : CMP Asia contributes to charity for tsunami survivors - Textile Fashion News Fibre2Fashion

Hong Kong : CMP Asia contributes to charity for tsunami survivors - Textile Fashion News Fibre2Fashion: "Hong Kong : CMP Asia contributes to charity for tsunami survivors
October 19, 2006

CMP Asia, one of the leading trade fair organisers in Asia, has donated US $30,000 to Sarojin Khao Lak Community Fund to help the tsunami survivors in Thailand to rebuild schools.

The Fund provides support to school children who continue to suffer from the severe damage caused by the tsunami disaster of December 2004. "

Tags: NPTsunamiRelief, NPDisasterRelief

Pakistani quake aid donors fall short. 07/10/2006. ABC News Online

Pakistani quake aid donors fall short. 07/10/2006. ABC News Online: "Pakistani quake aid donors fall short

More than $US90 million ($A121 million) in pledges made to Pakistan after a devastating earthquake a year ago has yet to be delivered and is urgently needed, former US president George Bush says.

Mr Bush, a special envoy of UN secretary-general Kofi Annan for the South Asia earthquake, says about two-thirds of the $US255 million ($A343 million) budgeted for an early recovery plan has been received.

But the rest of the money promised by various donor nations has not yet been paid."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, Pakastaniearthquake

Leesville Daily Leader - News-United Way adapts to help with recovery in New Orleans

Leesville Daily Leader - News: "The scent of newness permeates the air inside the Royal Castle Child Development Center in the Hollygrove section of New Orleans. Walls and floors damaged by the floodwaters of Hurricane Katrina have been replaced, and new electrical and air conditioning systems have been installed. Outside, a brand-new playground awaits the children.

Pearlie Harris is excited to be reopening her doors. Starting the first week of October, parents living and working in the Central Business District, Midtown and Uptown areas will have another place to bring children from 6 weeks to 5 years old. Harris also is offering an after-school program for pupils from 6 to 12 years old.

She credits United Way for the Greater New Orleans Area with making her dreams of rebuilding possible."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

New Orleans CityBusiness -- The Business Newspaper of Metropolitan New Orleans-Administrative costs can eat up chunks of relief cash

New Orleans CityBusiness -- The Business Newspaper of Metropolitan New Orleans: "Administrative costs can eat up chunks of relief cash
by Jaime Guillet
10/02/2006


The terrorizing trio of the 2005 storm season — hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma — wrought destruction on an area larger than North and South Carolina combined. The humanitarian aid and charitable donations for disaster relief have been equally monumental."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

Rotary-CBF partnership in La. town gets $500,000 from Bush-Clinton fund

Rotary-CBF partnership in La. town gets $500,000 from Bush-Clinton fund: "Rotary-CBF partnership in La. town gets $500,000 from Bush-Clinton fund
By Carla Wynn

Published September 21, 2006



ATLANTA (ABP) -- The Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund has given a $500,000 grant for the hurricane-damaged community of Lacombe, La., where the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship and an Arkansas Rotary Club are working together.

Already CBF and Rotary volunteers have restored more than 50 homes in Lacombe. The latest grant, which will allow the partners to expand that work, was awarded to Rotary Club 99 of Little Rock, Ark., according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

Former President Bill Clinton announced the gift Sept. 15 in a ceremony in New Orleans, during which $7.5 million was given to several nonprofit organizations working in Katrina-damaged areas along the Gulf Coast."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

First Response Coalition Blog

First Response Coalition Blog: "


FRC on CNN
Monday, September 18, 2006
The FRC was recently interviewed on CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 r"

onPhilanthropy: The Plan Before the Storm: Preparing to Contribute to Disaster Relief Efforts

onPhilanthropy: The Plan Before the Storm: Preparing to Contribute to Disaster Relief Efforts: "he Plan Before the Storm: Preparing to Contribute to Disaster Relief Efforts
By: Jessica Stannard-Friel, 09/13/06


Hurricane Gordon was recently named the third hurricane this season if it were to make landfall tomorrow and cause significant damage, would your company be ready to participate in relief efforts? Forecasters don’t expect Gordon to make landfall, Reuters reports, but the recent milestone anniversaries of September 11 and Hurricane Katrina serve to remind us of the significant role companies can and are now expected to play in disaster relief efforts. While disasters may not always be predictable, your company can still have a plan in place, allowing you to respond quickly, effectively, and responsibly when the next major disaster ultimately confronts us.

onPhilanthropy recommends that companies take the following steps to prepare for future relief efforts:"

Lessons in 9-11 for giving: South Florida Sun-Sentinel

Lessons in 9-11 for giving: South Florida Sun-Sentinel: "community has learned important lessons about charitable giving in response to widespread disaster. While thousands of sympathetic Americans responded to 9-11 by donating approximately $2.2 billion, most was quickly spent following the attacks. A select few 9-11 charities withheld donations so they could continue to help people long into the future.

So, what have we learned from 9-11?

Possibly the greatest lesson learned from post-9-11 charitable giving trends is that charities and donors now realize that catastrophic events demand long-term recovery. Needs arise beyond immediate relief. "

Daily Record - Morris County - Charities try to refocus on their pre-9/11 efforts

Daily Record - Morris County - Charities try to refocus on their pre-9/11 efforts: "Five years later, the mode of charity that emerged from the 9/11 recovery has been tested by one national tragedy after another. Now charities are attempting to bring their focus back to the day-to-day efforts they originally pledged to do.

Immediately after the terrorist attacks, the September 11 Fund was established, which was the first time the United Way channeled funds directly from donors to families that lost relatives, said Carol DeGraw, manager of community impact at the United Way in Morris County."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, NP911

The Shreveport Times-Cut the checks to nonprofits

The Shreveport Times: "Cut the checks to nonprofits
September 5, 2006


Katrina was a calamity of such magnitude that FEMA bent one of its long-held rules '' allowing nonprofit organizations to apply for reimbursements for money spent to care for evacuees. About 40 churches and other organizations in the Shreveport-Bossier took the organization up on this offer, filing applications through the Office of Emergency.

A year later, most of them are waiting to be reimbursed.

The reason for the delay: fears of corruption and malfeasance, leading to miles of red tape. Though good stewardship of public tax dollars is a crucial priority, so is distributing these funds in a timely manner."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

Pitt on building an eco-friendly New Orleans - Today - MSNBC.com

Pitt on building an eco-friendly New Orleans - Today - MSNBC.com: "Today show
Updated: 9:25 a.m. ET Sept. 1, 2006

All week, we've been looking at the shocking devastation that still remains in New Orleans as citizens there mark one year since Hurricane Katrina struck. On Thursday, actor Brad Pitt announced a major step forward in his effort to bring back housing in one of the hardest hit parts of the city. Not only did he vow that it will be built, ground-breaking is expected in a matter of months. I caught up with him in New Orleans on Thursday for an exclusive interview:

Brad Pitt: The first responsibility is to help those that are the most vulnerable. And we failed — and failed miserably. And to some extent we're still failing."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, NPMegaGivers

ContraCostaTimes.com | 09/01/2006 | Bush playing the part of saint as career gets under way

ContraCostaTimes.com | 09/01/2006 | Bush playing the part of saint as career gets under way: "Bush playing the part of saint as career gets under way
Rookie has captured the city's attention with charitable contributions
By Sam Farmer
LOS ANGELES TIMES

NEW ORLEANS - Shortly after the New Orleans Saints selected him second in the NFL draft, Reggie Bush toured some of the city's neighborhoods destroyed by the flooding that followed Hurricane Katrina.

House by pulverized house, he studied the bright orange numbers that relief workers had spray-painted on the front -- a grim count of the dead found inside.

'It's a humbling experience and it's sad,' the Heisman Trophy winner from USC said. 'It makes you appreciate what you have, makes you appreciate life in general. It can be taken away from you at any time.'"

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, NPCelebritygiving

BayouBuzz - President Bush´s New Orleans Katrina Statement

BayouBuzz - President Bush´s New Orleans Katrina Statement: "MRS. BUSH: Hey, everybody. Please be seated. We´re a little late because we´ve been in the library here at Warren Easton with the award grant winners of the Laura Bush Foundation, the 10 schools in Louisiana and Mississippi that have just won grants to restock their libraries. And it was really fun for us to have the chance to meet with the librarians and the students and the principals of these 10 schools that are across the Gulf Coast.

School people know they have to get to work right away, and really one of the great signs of recovery all along the Gulf Coast are the schools that are up and going again. A lot of them are in temporary buildings or portable buildings, but they have plans to rebuild. And it´s really a thrill to get to meet with the people who have worked so hard to make sure students all across the Gulf Coast get to go back to their own schools. We know that families can´t move back unless there´s schools for the kids. And so education is one of the most important parts of the recovery."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, NPKatrinarelief

Inexperienced charities complicated post-Katrina relief, watchdog says

Inexperienced charities complicated post-Katrina relief, watchdog says: "Inexperienced charities complicated post-Katrina relief, watchdog says
By Hannah Elliott

Published August 29, 2006

NEW ORLEANS (ABP) -- Although Hurricane Katrina inspired an unprecedented relief response, some of the groups who answered the call were inexperienced and ineffective, according to a charity watchdog group.

The deluge of new and inexperienced charities that responded to Katrina complicated the relief picture, said Sandra Miniutti, director of external relations for the New Jersey-based Charity Navigator.

“The biggest concern that we had was that there were too many groups holding their hands out with no experience in this type of work,” she said. “I think that’s a big concern. Also, for the groups that popped up, the brand new charities, to take on a disaster of this scope, it’s almost impossible to be effective.”

Many groups emerged post-Katrina that didn’t have the same focus, experience, methodology or priorities as established disaster-relief charities, Miniutti said. That meant well-meaning donors sometimes gave money that wasn’t used responsibly or efficiently."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, NPKatrinarelief, NPGovernance, NPPhilanthropy

Gambit Weekly : Time to Answer the Call : August 29, 2006

Gambit Weekly : Time to Answer the Call : August 29, 2006: "COMMENTARY 08 29 06

Time to Answer the Call
Last week in this space, we anticipated the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina by looking ahead to the two-year benchmark, suggesting specific goals for New Orleans as it struggles to gain some traction in its recovery efforts. This week -- in an issue dated on the one-year anniversary of the killer storm -- it's appropriate to look back at the progress, or lack of it, since Katrina struck. The news is mixed: parts of south Louisiana are rebounding nicely, some parts are even flourishing -- and then there's New Orleans, which remains stuck on stuck."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

DelcoTimes - Editorial: Post-Katrina blunders offer lesson in charity

DelcoTimes - Editorial: Post-Katrina blunders offer lesson in charity: "Editorial: Post-Katrina blunders offer lesson in charity
08/29/2006
email this storyEmail to a friendpost a commentPost a Commentprinter friendlyPrinter-friendly
One year later and the shocking images of New Orleans and the Gulf Coast of Mississippi after Hurricane Katrina hit land last Aug. 29 are seared into most Americans’ minds. For two weeks, television video replayed scenes of destroyed homes, displaced residents and unclaimed bodies of the dead on streets once packed with tourists.

One year later and the same video images show little or no progress in most of the hardest hit areas. Bourbon Street is back. The French Quarter is back. But, according to electric bills and school enrollment figures obtained by the Washington Post, less than half of the pre-storm population of 455,000 has returned."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

The Shreveport Times-"Nonprofits still awaiting repayment from FEMA

The Shreveport Times: "Nonprofits still awaiting repayment from FEMA
August 29, 2006

S
By Diane Haag
dhaag@gannett.com

A year after they housed thousands of evacuees, many nonprofits are still waiting for federal reimbursement of their expenses.

The quantity of agencies applying and the precautions to guard against fraud means the process has been slow, delaying money that churches and agencies would like to spend on other hurricane-related expenses.
"

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

Grantmakers Releases Donors' Guide to Gulf Coast :: PNNOnline ::

Grantmakers Releases Donors' Guide to Gulf Coast :: PNNOnline ::: "Across the Gulf Coast, local residents are working through community-based organizations to help their neighbors rebuild their homes and their lives after the devastation wrought by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Their indomitable spirit attests to the vitality of the numerous rebuilding efforts that are taking place.


To assist the public in connecting to these critically important efforts, the New York Regional Association of Grantmakers (NYRAG) has produced a 137-page resource guide. The Donors' Guide to Gulf Coast Relief & Recovery distills and makes accessible invaluable information regarding nearly 400 organizations involved in recovery, rebuilding, and transformation efforts in hurricane-affected areas. Individual donors, businesses, and foundations will all find useful resources to help them make solid giving decisions that will help residents across the hurricane-ravaged region."

The Shreveport Times-"Katrina-giving: By the numbers

The Shreveport Times: "Katrina-giving: By the numbers
August 28, 2006


By the numbers

The world donated $3.3 billion after Katrina. Here's where it went:

American Red Cross: $2.1 billion

Salvation Army: $363 million

Catholic Charities: $146.5 million

Clinton-Bush Katrina Fund: $129 million

Habitat for Humanity: $122 million

Greater Houston Foundation: $75 million
"

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, NPGiving

Outlines Emerge for a Shaken New Orleans - New York Times

Outlines Emerge for a Shaken New Orleans - New York Times: "Outlines Emerge for a Shaken New Orleans


By ADAM NOSSITER
Published: August 27, 2006

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 26 — At one edge of this city’s future are the extravagant visions of its boosters. Awash in federal cash, the New Orleans they dream of will be an arts-infused mecca for youthful risk-takers, a boomtown where entrepreneurs can repair to cool French Quarter bars in ancient buildings after a hard day of deal making."

Weathering Corruption

Weathering Corruption: "Weathering Corruption

Friday, August 25, 2006; Page A15

It's a familiar story line: When federal aid flows into a region devastated by a natural disaster, those charged with disseminating it do not always behave honorably in the chaos.

Is bad weather responsible for U.S. corruption?"

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

Study of the Recovery, Role, and Capacity of States and Localities Damaged by the 2005 Hurricanes

Study of the Recovery, Role, and Capacity of States and Localities Damaged by the 2005 Hurricanes: "Study of the Communities Damaged
by the 2005 Hurricanes


Public Affairs Research Council of Louisiana



NELSON A. ROCKEFELLER
INSTITUTE OF GOVERNMENT


A Joint Project of


PUBLIC AFFAIRS RESEARCH
COUNCIL OF LOUISIANA







*
GulfGov Reports:
One Year Later




The Katrina and Rita hurricanes of 2005 devastated many communities along the Gulf Coast. Homes and businesses, roads and bridges, and other important community facilities were destroyed. Many thousands of Gulf Coast residents were displaced, and cleanup and recovery challenges are enormous."

Hurricane Katrina, Coastal Protection and Reconstruction Efforts

Hurricane Katrina, Coastal Protection and Reconstruction Efforts: "Hurricane Katrina, Coastal Protection and Reconstruction Efforts

Don Basham, Chief of Engineering at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; Dr. Ed Link of the U.of Md and Director of the Interagency Peformance Evaluation Taskforce (IPET); and Dr. Robert Traver, Villanova U. and American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE)
Foreign Press Center Briefing
Washington, DC
August 22, 2006

1:05 P.M. EDT

Real Audio of Briefing


MODERATOR: This afternoon we have a briefing from three people who will be talking about Hurricane Katrina and the Army Corps of Engineers and what the Corps has done since Katrina and some of the lessons learned from that event.

With us we have Don Basham, who is Chief of Engineering at the Corps, we have Ed Link of the University of Maryland, and who is also Director of the Interagency Performance Evaluation Task Force which looked at Katrina, and Robert Traver of Villanova University and the American of Society of Civil Engineers.

They will be -- we’ll start off with a few comments from each of them about the hurricane, about the system along the Gulf Coast, what we’ve learned and what we’re doing going forward and then open it up for your questions. So thank you for coming, and I think I’m going to turn it over to Don first off."

USATODAY.com-In Katrina, compassion met adversity

USATODAY.com: "In Katrina, compassion met adversity
More work awaits stricken region — and the country

By George H. W. Bush & William Jefferson Clinton

Next week will mark one year since Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast and cut a swath of destruction that was truly of biblical proportions. Together, our nation watched in helpless horror as the winds and the waters surged — killing more than 1,000 loved ones and wiping away once-vibrant communities. In essence, Katrina was an American tsunami: The devastation and despair it randomly cast throughout the Gulf Coast was painfully evocative of what we saw when we toured the Indian Ocean perimeter together in 2005."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

Help center opens for Katrina evacuees - Yahoo! News

Help center opens for Katrina evacuees - Yahoo! News: "New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin opened the first of a planned series of service centers designed to help Hurricane Katrina evacuees outside Louisiana return to their hometown and rebuild it so it's 'no longer a city of haves and have nots.'"

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

Philanthropists gave $577 million in relief

Philanthropists gave $577 million in relief: "Philanthropists gave $577 million in relief
But that's probably the max, study says
Tuesday, August 22, 2006
By Bruce Alpert

WASHINGTON -- First the good news.

U.S. foundations and corporations provided $577.1 million in private contributions through the end of June for relief, recovery and rebuilding efforts related to last year's Gulf Coast hurricanes, according to a new report by the Foundation Center.

The bad news is that more assistance is unlikely. Only 7 percent of the surveyed foundations, according to the report, expect to make additional hurricane-related commitments beyond September."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, NPCorporateGiving

Public Service Group Considers 'Government After Katrina'

Public Service Group Considers 'Government After Katrina': "Public Service Group Considers 'Government After Katrina'

By Stephen Barr
Friday, August 18, 2006; Page D04

The nonprofit Partnership for Public Service is launching an initiative called 'Government After Katrina' to look for ideas that can help the government operate more effectively and polish an image that was tarnished by a sluggish response to the hurricane.

'We need to leverage the occasion of Katrina's anniversary to focus new energy to the issue of improved government performance,' said Max Stier , president of the partnership, a nonpartisan group that seeks to revitalize federal service and encourage young people to take up careers in government."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

Charities Stock Up on Marketing Supplies for Hurricane Season

Charities Stock Up on Marketing Supplies for Hurricane Season: "From late August to early October, Americans are on alert for something beyond their control: the hurricane season.

The devastation caused by hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma from last year still can be felt, and one has to question how organizations have prepared for another disaster.

'After every major disaster we do a 'lessons learned' to prepare ourselves better and to see what we need to fix,' said Margaret Carter, interim director of direct response fundraising for the American Red Cross, Washington. 'Katrina was felt on the largest scale, so we therefore need scalable solutions.'

The Red Cross raised $2.067 billion for relief from hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma. It spent $1.787 billion, about 85 percent of that money. The rest is for its Hurricane Recovery program, which will assist victims in the coming years as needs arise."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

New Orleans pained, proud of Katrina documentary - Yahoo! News

New Orleans pained, proud of Katrina documentary - Yahoo! News: "ey came from down the block and from hours away to see director Spike Lee's view of how Hurricane Katrina changed their lives, and New Orleanians were sad and proud of what they viewed.
ADVERTISEMENT

'Do you know what it means to miss New Orleans? We do,' Gerry Carter said early on Thursday after joining thousands who watched the premiere of Lee's film 'When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts.'"

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

newsarticle - Philanthropy Journal-YFunding Katrina relief

newsarticle - Philanthropy Journal-Your online source for news about nonprofits, social issues, and policy change: "
Funding Katrina relief

Corporations, foundations gave over $577 million to effort, report says.



Over 400 foundations and corporations have committed more than $577 million to immediate relief and ongoing rebuilding efforts in the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, a new report says.

The vast majority of those institutional donors say donations made in response to the 2005 hurricanes did not affect their regular giving, says the Foundation Center's report, 'Giving in the Aftermath of the Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Report on the Foundation and Corporate Response.'"

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

BayouBuzz - Ford Foundation Says Grants To Gulf, Louisiana New Orleans Over 20M

BayouBuzz - Ford Foundation Says Grants To Gulf, Louisiana New Orleans Over 20M: "The Ford Foundation announced today that its grants for Gulf Coast recovery will surpass $20 million around the time of the one-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. The amount doubles the initial commitment made by the foundation in the wake of the disaster.

"

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, NPKatrinarelief

Judge Rules for Insurers in Katrina - New York Times

Judge Rules for Insurers in Katrina - New York Times: "Judge Rules for Insurers in Katrina

By JOSEPH B. TREASTER
Published: August 16, 2006

A federal judge in Mississippi sided with home insurance companies yesterday and ruled that they did not have to pay for the flooding that destroyed tens of thousands of homes in Hurricane Katrina."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

The Chronicle, 8/17/2006: Rebuilding the World a Storm Destroyed

The Chronicle, 8/17/2006: Rebuilding the World a Storm Destroyed: "Rebuilding the World a Storm Destroyed

Operation Blessing


THE ROCKY ROAD AHEAD
Charities face an unprecedented challenge as they help people battered by Hurricane Katrina rebuild. But they have been helped hundreds of thousands of people who are volunteering to help organizations like Operation Blessing, which has been removing trees toppled by the storm.

NEARLY $3.3-BILLION has been raised by the largest U.S. charities in response to Hurricane Katrina, a Chronicle survey has found, some $2.7-billion of which has already been spent on recovery."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

Philanthropy: Who Gave What for Katrina Relief

Philanthropy: Who Gave What for Katrina Relief: "Philanthropy: Who Gave What for Katrina Relief
A survey of donors in the aftermath of the Gulf Coast hurricanes finds corporate foundations were the leaders in funding recovery efforts


Foundation Center released a report on Aug. 9 titled 'Giving in the Aftermath of the Gulf Coast Hurricanes: Report on the Foundation and Corporate Response,' the second of a series of three reports on the subject. The first was released earlier as a summary of immediate findings"

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

Nonprofits will gut homes for free

Nonprofits will gut homes for free: "Nonprofits will gut homes for free
As deadline nears, wait can be long
Thursday, August 10, 2006
By Bruce Eggler

New Orleanians seeking help with cleaning and gutting their flood-damaged homes by the Aug. 29 deadline set by the city can contact more than a dozen nonprofit organizations that offer free gutting, according to a list posted on the city's Web site.

Most of the organizations report they have waiting lists from one to six months long, but a few apparently are prepared to handle new requests quickly. Besides 15 groups still accepting applications, the city includes three other groups whose lists are so full they are not accepting applications at this time."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

FOXNews.com - 3 Doors Down Aids Katrina Relief Efforts - Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment

FOXNews.com - 3 Doors Down Aids Katrina Relief Efforts - Celebrity Gossip | Entertainment News | Arts And Entertainment: "3 Doors Down Aids Katrina Relief Efforts
Wednesday, August 09, 2006

PASCAGOULA, Miss. — Members of 3 Doors Down have presented two checks to aid Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.

Guitarist Matt Roberts presented a $25,000 check Tuesday to Resurrection Catholic School, which he attended, to help replace library books.

Principal Darnell Cuevas said the school lost thousands of books when Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast on Aug. 29."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, NPCelebritygiving

Louisiana Weekly - Your Community. Your Newspaper.-8 N.O. groups awarded funding to revitalize Gulf Coast

Louisiana Weekly - Your Community. Your Newspaper.: "8 N.O. groups awarded funding to revitalize Gulf Coast

August 7, 2006 talkback

Eight New Orleans-based groups were among 17 organizations from Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia that recently were awarded grants from the Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health that will be used to revitalize communities among the Gulf Coast in the wake of Huricanes Katrina and Rita. The $250,000 in grant money will be used to address issues such as housing and urban planning; needs of hurricane survivors and the diaspora; culture and arts; worker and day laborer rights; and environment, health and green rebuilding."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

Success in raising funds depends on aid's destination - baltimoresun.com

Success in raising funds depends on aid's destination - baltimoresun.com: "After an earthquake rocked the Indonesian island of Java in May, donors responded. World Vision U.S., a Christian aid organization, quickly received hundreds of thousands of dollars in contributions to help those left devastated by what nature had wrought.

To aid the more than 700,000 displaced in Lebanon during fighting that has raged between Israel and Hezbollah over the past three weeks, the call has gone out again.

This time, donors have been 'lukewarm,' a senior official says, offering $160,000 in donations to assist those injured and displaced by the attacks. That's just one-quarter of what they gave after the Indonesian disaster."

Tags: NPGivingTrends, NPDisasterRelief

The Jakarta Post - Absence of standard practices blamed for disaster aid chaos

The Jakarta Post - Absence of standard practices blamed for disaster aid chaos: "Absence of standard practices blamed for disaster aid chaos

Tb. Arie Rukmantara, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The absence of standard operating procedures for providing medical assistance to disaster victims makes relief efforts less effective, a medical doctor says.

Murdani Abdullah of the Indonesian Society of Internists said the government should establish guidelines for medical relief to ensure the programs function well.

'We don't have a good scenario for medical relief operations in disaster-hit areas. Everybody is doing their own work in there,' he told reporters."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

2005-2006: Katrina, charity, and unexpected change - News

2005-2006: Katrina, charity, and unexpected change - News: "The academic year 2005-2006 marked one of unexpected change for both the Washington University campus and the nation. Hurricane Katrina's devastation of the gulf coast region largely shaped a year of charity and change.

Some students returned to campus in late August with news that the homes they had left were damaged or destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. The disaster hit close to the Washington University community as students from the Gulf Coast region learned of displaced friends and family members. Despite early warnings from the government, Hurricane Katrina and the flood that followed, heavily devastated the gulf coast region including Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. "

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, Katrina Relief

Nonprofits help businesses hurt by Katrina - Dateline Florida

Nonprofits help businesses hurt by Katrina - Dateline Florida: "Nonprofits help businesses hurt by Katrina

BY ZAC ANDERSON

PUNTA GORDA -- More than 70 dogs and cats and 14 horses rode out Hurricane Katrina in Richard Gingles' Long Beach, Miss., animal clinic.

So many animals needed shelter that Gingles ran out of space in his boarding kennels and was forced to stash pet carriers beneath operating tables and reception desks.

'We were just overflowing,' Gingles said Monday.

The next time Long Beach residents are forced to leave town, Gingles plans to have more kennel space, and he's getting help from three Charlotte County nonprofits.

Carolyn Freeland traveled to Mississippi last week on behalf of the local nonprofits to give Gingles and 13 other business owners $1,000 grants"

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, KatrinaRelief

CANOE -- CNEWS - Canada: Canadian charity to help tsunami victims

CANOE -- CNEWS - Canada: Canadian charity to help tsunami victims: "Canadian charity to help tsunami victims
By MARY GAZZE, Toronto Sun
Schools reopen in tsunami hit town

A Canadian charity will ship more than $400,000 in medical supplies tomorrow to help victims of the recent tsunami that rocked the Indonesian island of Java.

The seven skids of cargo — which include bandages, antibiotics and wheelchairs — are expected to arrive Sunday in Jakarta, the capital of the disaster-stricken country."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, NPTsunamiRelief

CTV.ca | Aid agencies team up on Mideast fundraising

CTV.ca | Aid agencies team up on Mideast fundraising: "Aid agencies team up on Mideast fundraising

Updated Mon. Jul. 24 2006 11:32 PM ET

CTV.ca News Staff

As Canadian evacuees continue to arrive home safely from Lebanon, relief agencies are turning their eyes to those who are still living in the conflicted region.

Four of Canada's largest aid agencies announced Monday they are joining forces to form 'The Humanitarian Coalition.'"

Tags: NPDisasterRelief

Fishupdate.com: Tsunami relief continues for aquaculture sector

Fishupdate.com: Tsunami relief continues for aquaculture sector: "A TSUNAMI relief fund supported by donations from YSI continues to provide aid to victims of the 2004 tsunami in Indonesia.
The Fund for Rebuilding Aquaculture in Tsunami-Affected Areas is administered by Aquaculture without Frontiers, which works in conjunction with local citizens and the country’s Directorate General of Aquaculture."

Tags: NPDisasterRelief, NPTsunamiRelief