Schwab Charitable – Strategic Giving Simplified

(Last Updated on October 4, 2011)

On July 20th, the United Nations declared a state of famine in the southern regions of Somalia in Eastern Africa. Somalia and neighboring countries are struggling through one of the worst droughts they’ve experienced in the last 60 years. With the supply of crops and livestock rapidly dwindling, remaining food prices have increased as much as 200%. As the dry season rages on, NGO’s are persistently finding ways to provide relief to the masses in need while dodging the militia forces’ efforts to intervene. About half the population, an estimated 3.7 million Somalis, is in dire need of humanitarian assistance.

You can help victims of the Somalia famine by contributing to any of the following organizations. We will continue to update the progress of the organizations involved as new information is posted on their websites.

Action Against Hunger (Tax ID: 13-3327220)
Action Against Hunger/ACF International (ACF) has provided relief efforts in Somalia for over 20 years and were well positioned to launch emergency care programs in early July. They are actively trying to increase access to water by constructing wells, drilling boreholes, and installing storage devices to capture future rainfall. AAH has issued a message to internationally influential parties, requesting infiltration into the warfare stricken regions which have stopped or complicated relief efforts by NGOs. With the much needed rains approaching in the month of October, the risk of diseases spreading amongst the camps is increasing.

Doctors Without Borders (Tax ID: 13-3433452)
Doctors Without Borders (DWB) has worked in Somalia for over 20 years and currently provides free medical care in eight different regions in the struggling country. Doctors Without Borders are teaming up with other NGO’s in a mass immunization and health screening effort focused on the refugee children that reside in the camps. They are still distributing relief items and are pushing the immunization effort to the top of their Somalia relief priority list. DWB has vaccinated more than 50,000 children against measles since July. The lack of water and severe malnutrition in the refugee camps has spiked the reported cases of measles.

International Rescue Commission (Tax ID Number: 13-5660870)
The International Rescue Commission (IRC) is stationed in multiple locations in Eastern Africa providing support to famine stricken refugees as well as the many people that still reside in Somalia. The teams have been providing food vouchers primarily to pregnant women and mothers with young children. IRC members have been distributing kits to new refugee camp arrivals containing blankets, sleeping mats, cooking pots, water containers and various hygiene items. Team members are building and repairing wells and other means of delivering sanitary water to camps.

UNICEF (Tax ID Number: 13-1760110)
The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is in partnership with about 60 NGO’s working in the southern parts of Somalia. In July, UNICEF delivered more than 1,300 metric tons of supplies to the areas of Eastern Africa that were in severe need of assistance. In the next few months, they are striving to provide 240,000 children with food and water. UNICEF representatives have initiated a food voucher and cash transfer program in hopes to give families easier access to local produce without having to pay the escalating prices. Over 15,000 families have already benefitted from this new effort.

(Last Updated on October 4, 2011)

This spring season has triggered numerous disasters nationwide including tornadoes, floods, wildfires and landslides. Tornadoes ripped through numerous communities across the nation causing hundreds of deaths and over 13,000 homes to be destroyed. At least 24 states across America have been affected and need help to recover and rebuild.

You can help victims of the severe weather and tornadoes by contributing to any of the following organizations. We will continue to update the progress of the organizations involved as new information is posted on their websites.

American Red Cross National Headquarters (Tax ID Number: 53-0196605)
The Red Cross has been responding nationwide to floods, wildfires, earthquakes, and tornadoes. There are nearly 8,000 Red Cross workers helping people in the Northeast recover from flooding, assisting with the aftermath of the wildfires in Texas and providing a helping hand to clean up after the destructive winds of Hurricane Irene. In response to the floods in Pennsylvania three weeks ago, Red Cross workers have provided more than 7,790 overnight stays in 69 shelters since the flood. 1,600 workers served more than 379,500 meals and snacks while distributing more than 120,000 clean-up and comfort kits.

Direct Relief International (Tax ID Number: 95-1831116)
Direct Relief is working with local, state, and national-level responders to rush medical aid to assist those affected by the tornadoes, wildfires and flooding. Direct Relief continues to send relief items to affected areas throughout the US according to the greatest need as well as requests they receive from non-profits providing assistance to the affected communities. Volunteers made a shipment of personal hygiene items to a community clinic in Round Rock Texas to assist with the wildfire relief.

Salvation Army (Tax ID Number: 22-2406433)
The Salvation Army has teams providing food and water as well as emotional support to storm, tornado, earthquake, flooding and wildfire survivors. The charity is providing vouchers for clothes, groceries, hygiene products, and children’s supplies for those affected. Teams are being sent to help the elderly and disabled people with clearing debris on their property.

Samaritan’s Purse (Tax ID Number: 58-1437002)
There are teams currently stationed in North Dakota providing assistance to the people affected by the recent floods. Samaritan’s Purse volunteers are cleaning debris, helping strip water-damaged materials from homes. They continue to provide food, medicine and emotional support to the people in need.

(Last Updated on October 4, 2011)

A 9.0 magnitude earthquake struck the east coast of Japan on March 11th, 2011 and triggered a massive tsunami, causing major damage throughout the country. Japan government officials report that nearly 25,000 people have died or are still missing, and many communities still lack basic supplies and commodities. The earthquake is the strongest to hit Japan and is the 5th strongest on record.

Aftershocks continue to complicate but not stop the rebuilding process. Last month’s flood as well as the summer heat has created additional setbacks for the people of Japan. NGO’s are still helping the affected communities start to regain sustainability.

You can help victims of the earthquake by contributing to any of the following organizations. The information provided is from each organization’s website. We will continue to update this page as we learn of additional organizations assisting with relief efforts.

American Red Cross National Headquarters (Tax ID Number: 53-0196605)
Offering assistance to the Japanese Red Cross, which is accepting financial support from the American Red Cross for its role providing first aid, emotional support and relief items to those displaced. Local volunteers in Japan are distributing relief items, making sure displaced people are offered hot meals, clearing debris and providing medical transportation.

The American Red Cross has contributed nearly $260 million to Japan’s recovery since the disaster. They continue to provide psychological support to the victims, especially to those several thousand people who still remain in evacuation shelters. The Red Cross plans to support the transition out of evacuation centers into temporary homes for victims while providing regular events for children, parents and the elderly population.

AmeriCares (Tax ID Number: 06-1008595)
Supporting hospitals and health responders with the supplies they need to diagnose, treat and heal survivors. They are focusing efforts on the restoring and expanding healthcare services, caring for the elderly and disabled, mental health and psychological support, protecting orphans and vulnerable children, conducting consistent check ups for expecting and new mothers and providing ongoing assistance to evacuees.

Direct Relief International (Tax ID Number: 95-1831116)
In contact with U.S. government officials in Japan and with the U.S. Navy's Project Handclasp to offer resources and to promote coordination in the relief effort. Direct Relief has provided emergency funds for the provision of emergency materials for thousands of displaced persons in 20 facilities throughout Miyagi prefecture, with special attention being paid to the needs of persons with disabilities and elderly persons.

Food for the Hungry (Tax ID Number: 95-2680390)
Working with the Japan International Food for the Hungry (JIFH) partner and Friends of the Voiceless to provide assistance. JIFH staff set up a relief base in Sendai and is mobilizing local churches to distribute noodles, rice, bread, gloves, blankets, water, cooking stoves, and other items. Volunteer groups are working to repair damages to homes and give emotional support to survivors.

Give2Asia (Tax ID Number: 94-3373670)
The Give2Asia Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Fund
The Give2Asia Japan Earthquake & Tsunami Fund is responding to the immediate needs of survivors. Donations will go toward relief efforts, as well as short-term to long-term recovery projects undertaken by the affected communities. Give2Asia has developed a Medium-Term Strategy as well as a Long-Term Strategy. Their Medium-Term efforts will concentrate on clearing mud from homes and shops, continuing to provide psychosocial assistance or immediate medical care to the people in need, and initiate a new food program that provides survivors with more nutritionally based meals. Give2Asia’s Long-Term Strategy involves widening their scope of organizations they partner with in hopes to serve the community in additional ways that have been overlooked or not adequately supported.

NOTE: 95% of funds go directly to relief efforts. The remaining 5% are used to support coordination efforts with partner organizations in Japan.

International Medical Corps (Tax ID Number: 95-3949646)
Putting together relief teams, as well as supplies, and are in contact with partners in Japan and other affected countries to assess needs and coordinate activities. IMC is joining forces with TELL (Tokyo English Life Line) to enhance their ability to provide psychosocial services to survivors through telephone based counseling and training. Additionally, International Medical Corps has partnered with Peace Boat to provide hot meals, cleaning services and other relief items to the many people who chose to stay in their homes, rather than go to evacuation centers.

International Rescue Committee (Tax ID Number: 13-5660870)
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is supporting the relief efforts of three Japanese aid groups Peace Winds Japan, Association for Aid and Relief Japan and JEN Japan. The IRC funded road repairs so that people with disabilities could reach vocational skills programs at Asunaro Home, in the heights above tsunami-devastated Rikuzentakata. These organizations continue to distribute food and emergency items to people still living without running water or electricity.

MercyCorps (Tax ID Number: 91-1148123)
MercyCorps and partner Peace Winds have updated their focus to implement recovery while still providing relief. They continue to supply survivors with food and sanitation materials, but there is an additional drive to assist local businesses in hopes to strengthen the Japanese economy and encourage sustainability.

Salvation Army (Tax ID Number: 22-2406433)
The Salvation Army in Japan immediately dispersed teams following the disaster to the most severely affected areas where they are distributing basic necessities to survivors. These teams will also assess the damage to discern the next steps in their relief efforts. The Salvation Army's Korea Territory has arranged for the K-Water Corporation to provide 100,000 bottles of water to be sent to Japan – and the Korea Disaster Relief Association will be sending 5,000 first-aid kits.

Save the Children (Tax ID Number: 06-072-6487)
(Contributions can be made to the Children’s Emergency Fund)
Save the Children has a team in Sendai, one of the worst-affected areas, establishing an operations base to help the most vulnerable children and their families. Multiple child-friendly spaces have been established in evacuation centers where displaced families are staying. Save the Children plans to continue opening more child-friendly spaces throughout the dramatically devastated communities.

Shelter Box (Tax ID Number: 20-0471604)
(Note: they are unable to accept location specific donations)
Provides emergency transportable shelter and lifesaving supplies. The team is based in Morioka in the Iwate Prefecture working with Rotarians and the local authorities. 1,574 ShelterBoxes have been committed to Japan and thousands more remain on standby should they be required.

World Vision (Tax ID Number: 95-1922279)
World Vision has delivered blankets, bottled water, and sanitary and hygiene supplies for more than 6,000 people in urgent need in Minami Sanriku and Tome, two devastated towns where thousands were evacuated to shelters. World Vision plans to continually provide essential items – including hot food rations – to survivors in Miyagi Prefecture, and establish more Child-Friendly Spaces to help respond to the emotional needs of children who have survived so much. World Vision teams continue relief efforts as aftershocks of April 7th and 11th complicate the recovery process of survivors.

Status on Other Humanitarian Organizations
Doctors without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Team members are stationed with local doctors in evacuation centers in Minami Sanriku and Oshima Island. MSF has designed, provided materials for, and managed the construction of a temporary housing shelter for people in Baba-Nakayama in Miyagi prefecture. MSF is focusing on providing psychological assistance to particularly vulnerable survivors of the disaster.

NOTE: At this point, MSF is drawing on unrestricted donations given to MSF to fund their efforts, and are not accepting donations specifically earmarked for recovery efforts in Japan.