Homeland Security Today - preparedness and security news - Nonprofits Face Big Bureaucratic Hurdles

Homeland Security Today - preparedness and security news - Nonprofits Face Big Bureaucratic Hurdles: "utting red tape could boost disaster recovery efforts, GAO says

In the wake of Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, nonprofit organizations that rushed to the Gulf Coast to help disaster victims were hindered by copious amounts of bureaucratic red tape and federal liaisons with insufficient training to assist them.

But the federal government has been looking at ways to reduce the administrative burden on nonprofits that apply for grant programs to aid disaster victims, congressional investigators reported Monday. Nonprofit organizations told the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in interviews that the federal disaster grant process involved complicated record keeping and documentation procedures, among other complications."

Aging philanthropist is Pakistan's Mother Teresa

Aging philanthropist is Pakistan's Mother Teresa: "PESHAWAR, Pakistan -- The aging man in mud-splattered, frayed clothes has barely lowered his body onto the sidewalk when the money starts piling up. Heeding his call for donations for flood victims, Pakistanis of all classes rush to hand over cash to Abdul Sattar Edhi, whose years of dedication to the poor have made him a national icon."

Fairhaven student gathers shoes for victims of Haiti earthquake - 10 Who Cared - bellinghamherald.com

Fairhaven student gathers shoes for victims of Haiti earthquake - 10 Who Cared - bellinghamherald.com: "When the magnitude 7 earthquake hit Haiti last January, Joe Ludwigson knew he wanted to help.
Just 14, Joe knew a boy from Haiti. They met six years ago when Joe and his mother traveled to the island nation because his parents, Eric and Jenny Ludwigson, were adopting a Haitian boy."

Digicel, youths build school from containers - Breaking & Current Jamaica News - JamaicaObserver.com

Digicel, youths build school from containers - Breaking & Current Jamaica News - JamaicaObserver.com: "PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti: The first school built under an partnership between Digicel and the United States Agency for International Development USAID was opened here yesterday.
�cole Louis de Borno in L�og�ne - the town located at the epicentre of the January 12th earthquake - will welcome 600 primary students when the new school year begins on October 4."

Earthquakes and Floods: Comparing Haiti and Pakistan - Brookings Institution

Earthquakes and Floods: Comparing Haiti and Pakistan - Brookings Institution: "AUGUST 26, 2010 —
Comparisons between the response to the Haitian earthquake and to Pakistan’s floods are perhaps inevitable, as these major tragedies occurred within seven months of each other. Much of the commentary has focused on possible reasons for the disproportionate donor response to the two disasters. But there are other similarities – and differences – between the two cases that deserve further attention. This short article seeks to provide some comparisons between disasters in Haiti and Pakistan by looking first at the difference in the nature of the disasters, followed by comparison of housing needs, displacement, and the international response"

Public News Service-North Carolina Non-profits Brace For Intense Hurricane Season

Public News Service: "JACKSONVILLE, N.C. - North Carolina is more likely to see a severe hurricane this year, compared to years past, according to the National Weather Service. As the country remembers the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, non-profits like the Eastern Carolina Human Services Agency, Jacksonville, say they are better prepared now to handle such a disaster."

Pakistani community questions slow start to donation flow - Winnipeg Free Press

Pakistani community questions slow start to donation flow - Winnipeg Free Press: "Now — as Khan’s home country of Pakistan is in need of help as flood waters wreak havoc— the St. Vital man is left wondering why the public response to the disaster doesn’t seem to measure to the energetic effort that surrounded Haiti.

'For me, it’s really painful,' said Khan, who came to Canada in 1997 and runs Grocery Bazar on St. Mary’s Road. 'If there’s anywhere in the world that this is happening, everyone should come forward and help.'"

4 Reasons Americans Aren't Giving for Pakistan - International - The Atlantic

4 Reasons Americans Aren't Giving for Pakistan - International - The Atlantic: "The two most common answers are the poor economy and donor fatigue. While they are certainly playing a role, these two factors provide an incomplete picture. The economy was just as bad in January as it is now, with U6 joblessness unchanged and unemployment actually decreasing from 9.7 to 9.5 percent. The much-cited 'donor fatigue' claim argues that people are currently short on expendable cash or even human sympathy after the Haiti earthquake of seven months ago. However, if donor fatigue were really such a powerful force, then the world would not have responded with an overwhelmingly generous $5 billion in aid to the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, which occurred just over nine months after the 2004 tsunami. Clearly there is something more at play. Here are four factors more plausibly contributing to the low individual U.S. giving rate in response to the Pakistan floods."

TheSpec - Canada will match donations

TheSpec - Canada will match donations: "OTTAWA - The federal government moved yesterday to kick-start giving for Pakistan flood relief by offering to match private donations, dollar for dollar.
Donations for flood aid made between Aug. 2 and Sept. 12 will be matched by federal money with no upper limit, Government House leader John Baird said."

Australians have charity blind spot on Pakistan

Australians have charity blind spot on Pakistan: "AUSTRALIANS have a ''compassion blind spot'' when it comes to the Pakistan floods, says World Vision Australia chief executive Tim Costello.

World Vision has raised about $785,000 in the three weeks of the Pakistan disaster. At the same stage after the earthquake in Haiti in January, it had raised close to $10 million."

Alyssa Battistoni: Why is aid to Pakistan so slow? Because we're bad at giving.

Alyssa Battistoni: Why is aid to Pakistan so slow? Because we're bad at giving.: "We shouldn't count out these factors entirely. But the disconnect between the amount people donate to disasters and the extent of devastation is nothing new. For all their compassion and generosity, individual donors are unreliable, uninformed, often illogical, and have short attention spans to boot.

Rather than corresponding to the severity of the disaster, the amount of money donated to disaster relief tends to correspond highly to the amount of media coverage. And unfortunately, the amount of media coverage doesn't typically correspond to the severity of the disaster."

Aid only trickles to Pakistan's monsoon disaster - CNN.com

Aid only trickles to Pakistan's monsoon disaster - CNN.com: "Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Pakistan is reeling from a natural disaster affecting 20 million people but relief groups say donors have been painfully slow in helping.
When a magnitude 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti in January, donors responded with $13 billion in aid. Within 24 hours Hollywood mega-stars like George Clooney, Madonna, Tom Cruise and Beyonce had signed up for a telethon to raise money for Haiti's quake victims."

Hillary to pledge more US aid for Pakistan at UN | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online

Hillary to pledge more US aid for Pakistan at UN | Pakistan | News | Newspaper | Daily | English | Online: "WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will announce extra aid for a flooded Pakistan Thursday (today) at a UN meeting that will mobilise international support for the country, her spokesman said."

Big Give offers to double donations to support Pakistan flood victims - Third Sector

Big Give offers to double donations to support Pakistan flood victims - Third Sector: "Big Give offers to double donations to support Pakistan flood victims

By Sophie Hudson, Third Sector Online, 13 August 2010

Organisation has more than �70,000 available to give to six appeals

The Big Give is offering to double donations made through its website to the Pakistan flood appeal."

Billions of dollars promised for Haiti fail to materialize - thestar.com

Billions of dollars promised for Haiti fail to materialize - thestar.com: "Nearly seven months after a devastating earthquake killed upwards of 250,000 people in Haiti, UN special envoy to Haiti Bill Clinton told Associated Press on Aug. 6 that international donors have yet to make good on their promises of billions of dollars to help the country rebuild."

Flood aid 'less than generous'

Flood aid 'less than generous': "ISLAMABAD - THE global aid response to the Pakistan floods has so far been much less generous than to other recent natural disasters - despite the soaring numbers of people affected and the prospect of more economic ruin in a country key to the fight against Islamist extremists."

Pakistan floods: Doing good works | Editorial | Comment is free | The Guardian

Pakistan floods: Doing good works | Editorial | Comment is free | The Guardian: "Now, the less inspiring stuff. Although the UK government has promised �31m, and allocated more than half already, the European commission has pledged only a derisory €10m. The UN Office for the Co-ordination of Humanitarian Affairs is calling for $460m of aid. So far barely a 10th of that total has been pledged. The shortfall is repeated in every current UN appeal. Overall, charitable giving is in decline, and the Department for International Development's tracker survey of public attitudes shows a slow erosion of concern for the world's poor and a sharply increasing concern about corruption and ineffective aid. It might just be the short-term impact of global recession. But it looks more as if it could be the herald of a much bigger shift in opinion."

U.S. builds goodwill with quick assistance in Pakistani flooding

U.S. builds goodwill with quick assistance in Pakistani flooding: "Still, the floods have presented U.S. policymakers with an unusual chance to generate goodwill while providing a much-needed humanitarian service. The floods have affected 14 million people across Pakistan, and the United Nations said Wednesday that nearly half a billion dollars is urgently needed to keep the death toll from soaring past the current 1,600. International aid has so far been inadequate, it said, at less than $100 million."

Donations in Germany frighteningly low as Pakistan relief grows critical | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 13.08.2010

Donations in Germany frighteningly low as Pakistan relief grows critical | Germany | Deutsche Welle | 13.08.2010: "German relief organizations are struggling to collect private donations amid an increasingly desperate situation in flood-stricken Pakistan. The organizations believe Germany's negative view of Pakistan - and poor timing - to be responsible for the giving shortage."

The Associated Press: Pakistan floods fail to spark strong global aid

The Associated Press: Pakistan floods fail to spark strong global aid: "Pakistan floods fail to spark strong global aid

By NAHAL TOOSI (AP) – 2 days ago

ISLAMABAD — The global aid response to the Pakistan floods has so far been much less generous than to other recent natural disasters — despite the soaring numbers of people affected and the prospect of more economic ruin in a country key to the fight against Islamist extremists."