Lessons Learned from the Haiti Response (part one)

By Jon Simons

I, like millions around the world, watched with shock and horror as the massive scale of the tragedy in Haiti unfolded in the days following the earthquake.  Television, radio and Internet reports of the ever-increasing tallies of those displaced, injured or dead filled my days.  Like most, I prayed for those in harms way and tried to understand how I could help.  After quickly coming to grips with the fact that I could not go to Haiti and lend a hand, I settled on making a financial contribution.

As it turned out, the decision to give was the easy part, but I still had some real questions:  How much should I give, and to which organization?  How will my contribution make a difference?  How will I ever know if the money got to those in need?

I suggest that these questions are not unique to the tragedy in Haiti.  I believe that these are the questions that all people ask themselves before making a meaningful contribution. I challenge you to answer these questions for your organization before you ask others to support your worthwhile cause.

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