64. Giving After a Natural Disaster

Hi, welcome back to Spend Donate Invest! I go by GG, that’s short for Genet Gimja and before we jump in, let me tell you a little about this show. Here we are exploring the topic of whether there might be some ways we can line up what we’re doing with our money and our values when it comes to the kind of world we’d like to help shape. We vote, we protest, we write letters to our senators. But what about our money? As individuals? What can we do to line up our money and our values. Walk the talk. Feel and be more aligned.

We talk a lot about climate change and today’s topic absolutely is tied to the way our planet is warming. We are going to talk about disaster relief. At the time of recording, the magnitude of the devastation of the earthquake on Monday Feb 6, 2023 in Turkey and Syria is still being understood. And the thing about it is, we know that more of these natural disasters are coming. And they are getting worse. Wildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis, so let’s talk about it.

On this show we talk about the power in our money to create the type of world we want. I was talking to someone about the show recently and he summed it up by saying “put your money where your mouth is.” And I agree, that’s what we’re here to talk about. So when it comes to disaster relief, there are generally, 4 different phases where you might want to help. I’ll link the JP Morgan article on this.

Phase 1: Mitigation: this is about future planning. Analyzing the possibility of future disasters and planning out what we can do now to lessen the suffering as a result of a natural disaster.

Phase 2: Preparedness: this is when you know that a natural disaster is about to happen, what can you quickly do to prepare in the days beforehand. Depending on the type of natural disaster that is expected, it might mean making sure there are sandbags in place, there is enough food and water in reserves, making sure that hospitals have the right PPE and staffing levels.

Phase 3: Response: this is the immediate aftermath of the natural disaster. Looking for survivors, for example.

Phase 4: Recovery: Building homes and other infrastructure that were damaged. Maybe making changes to how that is done to lessen the impact of potential future disasters.

When it comes to donating, I think most of us think about that third phase, which is the Response, or the immediate aftermath of a natural disaster. Most donations are given within 8 weeks of a natural disaster. That is according to research by the Center for Disaster Philanthropy and Candid.

But what’s ironic is that spending more on the first phase, mitigation, where we try to see what we can do ahead of the natural disaster, is way way way more effective. Our money will go much further. Which means more lives will be saved. Less life-saving infrastructure will be destroyed.

But you know, it’s hard to keep that top of mind, especially when there are so many causes competing for our attention. I am wracking my brain to think about which of my giving would go into that first phase.

If you are looking to be a little more intentional about your natural disaster donations, you might consider donating towards that mitigation phase and also the very last phase which is the recovery, especially in the long term after the 8 weeks when the attention has probably drifted on to the next thing.
When you’re trying to decide who specifically to donate your money to, I would offer a few thoughts you might consider.

I look for groups or individuals that have been working in a community on a specific problem for a long time. Not a sudden pop up. And that is because I am less confident that someone brand new to an area or to a community or to a problem will be effective. In the future, when I have more wiggle room in my giving budget, I will look forward to taking more chances on newer initiatives, but for now, I am looking for someone with some level of familiarity. If you are worried about scams, avoiding pop up charities will also help with that.

I also like to think about the most vulnerable, or the least supported community within a disaster. Climate change will lead to more refugees. And when I think about those refugees, I tend to ask myself, who is being overlooked? That is something I will always think about, especially as someone who started my life as someone who fit right into that category. I was born while my family was living in a refugee camp as a result of the war in Eritrea. As you can hear, I made it, but not everyone in my community did make it. So that’s another consideration I’m always thinking about in my giving when it comes to disasters- who is being overlooked? Who isn’t getting the newspaper headlines?

So those are some thoughts on giving in response to natural disasters. I’d be interested to know, if you are a survivor of a natural disaster, what was your experience as it relates to aid?

If there are any other topics you’d like to discuss here on the show, send me an email anytime at spend donate invest at gmail dot com. If you want to see what else has been discussed, check out the website which is spend donate invest dot world. So instead of dot com it is dot world. As long as it relates to the power of our money, then let’s discuss it here. Or maybe you’ve discovered a way to put your money where your mouth is. I would love to hear about it. Let’s talk again soon.


https://privatebank.jpmorgan.com/gl/en/insights/giving/four-strategies-for-impactful-disaster-relief-giving