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Appropriate
Ways to Make Material Donations
If handled appropriately,
material donations can add value to disaster response efforts. To do so,
however, it is vital that donors make contact with a professional disaster
relief organization before collections begin. By doing this, donors can
ensure that their material is actually needed at the disaster scene and
that funding is available to transport it.
Before Collections Begin...
When discussing a material
donation with a professional relief organization, make sure to cover the
following points (again, before anything is collected):
- The kinds of material donations
that are actually needed: Specific characteristics, quality, and quantity
should be clear, as well as packing and labeling requirements.
- The shipping arrangements,
including funding: International shipping is very expensive, and often
cost-prohibitive for material donations. A source of funding for the
shipment should be identified before collections begin.
- The relief organization’s
local distribution capacity: The organization should have resources
at the disaster site, or have partner organizations with such resources,
in order to offload and distribute the donations to the people who need
them.
InterAction Members that
Collect Material Donations
Some InterAction members routinely
collect donated material, although all insist on approving the material
ahead of time. These organizations are a good place to start the planning
process for a material donation: InterAction
Members Accepting Material Donations. Remember to contact them before
collections begin. Also, note that not all donated materials are needed
by each organization for every disaster – specific needs vary among
disasters, and you should never assume that your material will be in demand.
Uses for Material Donations
If you are unable to identify
a relief organization that is willing to accept your material donation,
there are alternative ways the goods can be put to use. See Uses
for Donated Materials for more information.
Goods should never be collected
or shipped unless they have been specifically requested by an experienced
relief organization and funding for shipping and distribution has been
identified ahead of time.
A well-established relief
organization with personnel already on the scene is in the best position
to describe the country’s specific needs.
Never assume that unsolicited
material will be transported free of charge by the US government or military,
private companies, or relief organizations.
Distributing relief supplies
requires personnel and financial resources within the affected country.
To efficiently distribute relief commodities, staff, warehouses, trucks,
and communications equipment are required. It is not enough to gather
supplies and send them to an affected region; a sound partnership with
a reliable local agency having transport and management capacity is mandatory.
(Center for International Disaster Information
Web Site)
Before starting a collection
of goods to send to a disaster site, it is essential to locate a reliable
relief organization willing to receive the shipment of donated goods.
(Federal Emergency Management Agency
Web Site)
Return
to Guide to Appropriate Giving
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