Mega disaster relief fund could be on cards | Sunshine Coast Daily

Mega disaster relief fund could be on cards | Sunshine Coast Daily: A MEGA disaster relief fund to shield taxpayers from sudden levies to recoup costs after significant weather events could be discussed once the Queensland floods enter a recovery phase.

Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan would not discuss whether his government would introduce another flood levy, as it did after the 2011 Queensland floods, on Monday.

How to Do Disaster Relief Right - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly

How to Do Disaster Relief Right - NPQ - Nonprofit Quarterly: The debate over the size and content of the legislation providing relief for residents of New York and New Jersey whose homes and communities were devastated by Superstorm Sandy raises questions beyond why some feckless Republican members of Congress voted to deny this region the kind of relief that the U.S. government has previously provided (in a much faster way) to other regions hit by natural disasters. How does one do disaster relief properly? This is an area where nonprofits can teach legislators what works and what isn’t all that helpful.

A very good teacher is Juanita Rilling, the executive director of the Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI), which works to educate the public, nonprofits, and government agencies about the best ways to provide international disaster relief. Because it isn’t a disaster relief organization itself, it isn’t pitching for this or that kind of disaster aid, but simply for smarter disaster relief in general. Rilling spoke to the Nonprofit Quarterly shortly after Superstorm Sandy struck.

Disaster Update: American Red Cross Contributes $50,000 to Zimbabwe Disaster Relief � American Red Cross Disaster Newsroom

Disaster Update: American Red Cross Contributes $50,000 to Zimbabwe Disaster Relief � American Red Cross Disaster Newsroom: Disaster Update: American Red Cross Contributes $50,000 to Zimbabwe Disaster Relief

Wednesday, January 23, 2013 – The American Red Cross is contributing $50,000 to help those affected by food insecurity caused by drought and below-normal rainfall in Zimbabwe.

Microsoft Launches Free Disaster Relief App

Microsoft Launches Free Disaster Relief App: Microsoft has recently released a new Disaster Relief app that goes under the name HelpBridge. The application is available for iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8. The application allows you to do two things: ask for help and give help. If you ever find yourself in a situation where you need to call for help, you can send a message out via Facebook, SMS and email to a preassigned list of contacts with your location and a message. As of now, the app doesn’t support Twitter. HelpBridge also allows users to alert family and friends that they’re OK after a disaster strikes.

Haiti: United States Has Disbursed $2.5 Billion Since 2010 Earthquake

Haiti: United States Has Disbursed $2.5 Billion Since 2010 Earthquake: he United States has disbursed more than $2.5 billion in Haiti since the earthquake in January 2010, according to a State Department release issued Wednesday.

That number represents disbursements through the end of September 2012. The US had committed more than $3.6 billion toward “relief, recovery and reconstruction” in the same period, it said.

Charity at the top of these slopes | Boston Herald

Charity at the top of these slopes | Boston Herald: hat’s how, just a half-year after the end of one of the toughest financial seasons in ski resort history, the folks in Vermont made things happen, donating close to $100,000 to disaster relief from the storm.

Using Hollywood to Teach People About Disaster Giving - The Giveaway - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Using Hollywood to Teach People About Disaster Giving - The Giveaway - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Using Hollywood to Teach People About Disaster Giving

January 10, 2013, 4:15 pm

By Caroline Preston

Mike Rea, founder of Give2Asia, calls the 2004 Asian tsunamis the “first global disaster of our time.”

Now an employee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Rea wanted to use the disaster’s 10th anniversary to investigate what had become of the millions of dollars his group contributed and the many people it aspired to help.

Using Hollywood to Teach People About Disaster Giving - The Giveaway - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas

Using Hollywood to Teach People About Disaster Giving - The Giveaway - The Chronicle of Philanthropy- Connecting the nonprofit world with news, jobs, and ideas: Using Hollywood to Teach People About Disaster Giving

January 10, 2013, 4:15 pm

By Caroline Preston

Mike Rea, founder of Give2Asia, calls the 2004 Asian tsunamis the “first global disaster of our time.”

Now an employee of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Mr. Rea wanted to use the disaster’s 10th anniversary to investigate what had become of the millions of dollars his group contributed and the many people it aspired to help.

Mobile Service Disruption from Great Japan Earthquake Visualized

Mobile Service Disruption from Great Japan Earthquake Visualized: When the tragic earthquake hit Japan back in March of 2011, mobile communications were severely disrupted in the affected regions, even in metropolitan Tokyo. The University of Tokyo’s Center for Spatial Information Science has put together an incredible visualization which dramatically illustrates how mobile activity almost completely stops in the minutes after the earthquake hit at 14:46PM on that afternoon.

Red Cross Releases Report on Haiti Earthquake Donations

Red Cross Releases Report on Haiti Earthquake Donations: The American Red Cross recently released a three-year update on its response to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, made possible by donations from the public.

The report, which can be found at www.redcross.org/Haiti, shows that hundreds of thousands of people are living in safer homes and have improved access to water and health services thanks to the generous donations following the earthquake.

Japan: National Diet Library Begins Testing of Great East Japan Earthquake Archive | LJ INFOdocket

Japan: National Diet Library Begins Testing of Great East Japan Earthquake Archive | LJ INFOdocket: he Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, jointly with the National Diet Library, on Jan. 10 will start tests [protoype available] of a “Great East Japan Earthquake Archive,” an integrated data management system for more than 100,000 items related to the earthquake and tsunami of March 11, 2011.

It plans to complete the system in early March and increase the number of items to more than 300,000, including related data.

Earthquake efforts in Japan earn Lori Henderson MBE - Dundee / Local / News / The Courier

Earthquake efforts in Japan earn Lori Henderson MBE - Dundee / Local / News / The Courier: A DUNDEE woman’s services to Japan’s reconstruction following the country’s devastating earthquake have earned her an MBE.

Sandy Shows Disaster-Relief Funding Is a Disaster - Bloomberg

Sandy Shows Disaster-Relief Funding Is a Disaster - Bloomberg: The Hurricane Sandy aid discussion has been noticeably lacking in common sense. On Jan. 4, the House of Representatives approved a scaled-back $9.7 billion aid package and promised to debate the additional $51 billion offered by the Senate on Jan. 15. But the most obvious solution to disaster-relief spending remains unexplored: budgeting for it ahead of time.

Panera Bread Collects $4,000 for American Red Cross Disaster Relief - Dedham, MA Patch

Panera Bread Collects $4,000 for American Red Cross Disaster Relief - Dedham, MA Patch: Panera Bread Collects $4,000 for American Red Cross Disaster Relief

In just under two weeks, the customers at 16 New England-based Panera Bread locations, including the Dedham location, were able to raise more than $4,000 for the American Red Cross Disaster Relief fund.

NY AG: Charities raise $400m for Sandy relief - WSJ.com

NY AG: Charities raise $400m for Sandy relief - WSJ.com: NEW YORK — Charities in New York state have collectively raised more than $400 million for Hurricane Sandy relief efforts, the state's attorney general said Thursday.

A survey of 88 nonprofit groups by Eric Schneiderman's office found that as of mid-December, the fundraising for storm victims had been dominated by five charities, led by The American Red Cross, which had raised $188 million, the Robin Hood Foundation, which had taken in $67 million and The Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City, which collected $45 million.

Hearts Broken - How to Help Newtown

Hearts Broken - How to Help Newtown: Update: The Chronicle of Philanthropy reported on Tuesday that donations are pouring in to several memorial funds set up for the families of the Sandy Hook victims. More Than $1-Million Raised for Newtown's Survivors.

It's been a very hard week for everyone. The tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut on Friday took away our breath and our joy.

My emotions have been both grief and helplessness. But I also experienced a deep need to do something, anything to help.

How to Respond to a National Tragedy | Nonprofit Marketing | Getting Attention

How to Respond to a National Tragedy | Nonprofit Marketing | Getting Attention: How to Respond to a National Tragedy

Like you, my heart and head are heavy in the wake of Friday’s tragedy in Newtown, CT. Especially since I feel so helpless.

My gut is that’s how many of your supporters and prospects are feeling as well, and what will be top of mind for at least a few more days. So be responsive, even though you’re pressured by the year-end push for support.

Opinion: Losing Charitable Tax Break A Societal Deduction - TheNonProfitTimes

Opinion: Losing Charitable Tax Break A Societal Deduction - TheNonProfitTimes: he Center on Philanthropy (CoP) in Indianapolis, Ind., estimated that after three weeks, fundraising for Sandy, which rampaged up the East Coast impacting 65 million people in 11 states, stood at $219 million. Fundraising for the 2005 tsunami was $610 million after the same time period. Haiti received $752 million. Fundraising for September 11 was $876 million, and $1.3 billion for Katrina.

Four weeks out from Sandy, CoP’s estimate of the fundraising total was $244 million. The bulk of that went to the American Red Cross.

Strengthening coordination of UN humanitarian and disaster relief assistance

Strengthening coordination of UN humanitarian and disaster relief assistance: Strengthening coordination of UN humanitarian and disaster relief assistance
13-12-2012 Statement

United Nations, General Assembly, 67th session, Plenary, Item70(a) of the agenda, statement by the ICRC, New York, 13 December 2012.

Full title: Strengthening of the coordination of humanitarian and disaster relief assistance of the United Nations, including special economic assistance

Taiwan donates helicopters to Guatemala disaster-relief work - The China Post

Taiwan donates helicopters to Guatemala disaster-relief work - The China Post: AIPEI, Taiwan -- Taiwan donated two helicopters to Guatemala on Monday and has revamped two of the Central American ally's existing choppers to bolster its humanitarian and disaster-relief operations, the Ministry of Nation Defense (MND) said yesterday.