The Salvation Army and Disaster Relief
Jan. 2nd, 2005 11:28 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
velvetpageLast night I went to my mother's for dinner. My uncle and his wife were there as well. My uncle, Brian Burditt, works at Territorial Headquarters (THQ) in Toronto. His job, as I understand it, is to oversee the disposition of charitable donations and the uses to which they are put all over the world. As far as I know, he is the first person to do this job - he created it. He travels an average of five months out of twelve, seeing that money earmarked for an orphanage in Africa actually was used by an orphanage in Africa. He told us some very interesting things about the disaster in Asia, some of which I'd like to share with you.
First, the laws that govern tax-deductible donations in Canada are very strict. Money earmarked by the donor for a specific cause must go to that specific cause. For example, after 9/11, money poured in earmarked for the disaster sites in New York and Washington. Very little money came in earmarked for places that had helped stranded travellers. In Newfoundland, thousands of travellers were fed, sheltered, and clothed for about a week, at the expense of the people and the churches, especially the Salvation Army (which is the second-largest denomination in Newfoundland after the CAtholic Church.) It cost a bundle, and several churches nearly bankrupted themselves doing it, but the Army was not allowed divert funds from the New York fund into Newfoundland, even though it was part and parcel of the same disaster. Eventually, the Salvation Army dug into its operating budget reserves and bailed out the churches which had used all their funds helping stranded travellers. THe financial effects of that are still affecting decisions today, and will for a long time.
This law is a good thing, and has prevented a lot of fraud since it came into effect. It also, unfortunately, has the effect of tying the hands of reputable charities like the Salvation Army. Unlike the Red Cross, which has government funding as a reserve fund to use for immediate disaster relief, the Salvation Army has no reserve fund for this type of emergency. What's more, they are effectively unable to create one, because they would not be able to give tax receipts for donations which went into a future-use standing emergency fund. It's not specific enough to satisfy our laws. Therefore, if they are to help, they have to pull money from other areas, count on earmarked donations, and hope that their members make up the difference in their operating budgets later on.
Second, probably more important to you: The Red Cross does immediate disaster relief. Because of that standing budget, and because disaster relief is their mandate, they are the first on the ground when a disaster hits, saving lives immediately. However, they only stay for a few months to a year. The rebuilding efforts are left to organizations like the Salvation Army.
The Army will not send in many people who aren't there already. There will be a few, of course, but mostly, the Army will funnel resources through the officers and corps who are already there and have a network of local people to help. It will be their job to help rebuild lives, support those whose families and livelihoods were washed away, and react to aspects of the disaster which we've barely begun to recognize. The orphanages, the hospitals, the cottage industries, the schools - all of these things will be done by the Salvation Army and other organizations with similar mandates (such as Foster Parents' Plan, for example.)
Bottom line: immediate donations to the Red Cross will get where they're going and be effective immediately. But when you donate again, three, six, twelve months from now, find a charity like the Army whose mandate is to rebuild. Also, if you can afford to donate without getting a tax receipt, consider donating to their long-term disaster relief fund. They're looking for $0.5 million from each of the twenty territories which is financially solvent. Needless to say, that includes all of North America. The goal is $10 million in an immediate, readily-available disaster relief fund, housed in London until needed. (Though it wasn't specified, I believe they're talking U.S. funds. They usually do.)
All territories have websites. I know there are four territories in the States, but I do not know how they are divided up. A simple google search will tell you, though.
First, the laws that govern tax-deductible donations in Canada are very strict. Money earmarked by the donor for a specific cause must go to that specific cause. For example, after 9/11, money poured in earmarked for the disaster sites in New York and Washington. Very little money came in earmarked for places that had helped stranded travellers. In Newfoundland, thousands of travellers were fed, sheltered, and clothed for about a week, at the expense of the people and the churches, especially the Salvation Army (which is the second-largest denomination in Newfoundland after the CAtholic Church.) It cost a bundle, and several churches nearly bankrupted themselves doing it, but the Army was not allowed divert funds from the New York fund into Newfoundland, even though it was part and parcel of the same disaster. Eventually, the Salvation Army dug into its operating budget reserves and bailed out the churches which had used all their funds helping stranded travellers. THe financial effects of that are still affecting decisions today, and will for a long time.
This law is a good thing, and has prevented a lot of fraud since it came into effect. It also, unfortunately, has the effect of tying the hands of reputable charities like the Salvation Army. Unlike the Red Cross, which has government funding as a reserve fund to use for immediate disaster relief, the Salvation Army has no reserve fund for this type of emergency. What's more, they are effectively unable to create one, because they would not be able to give tax receipts for donations which went into a future-use standing emergency fund. It's not specific enough to satisfy our laws. Therefore, if they are to help, they have to pull money from other areas, count on earmarked donations, and hope that their members make up the difference in their operating budgets later on.
Second, probably more important to you: The Red Cross does immediate disaster relief. Because of that standing budget, and because disaster relief is their mandate, they are the first on the ground when a disaster hits, saving lives immediately. However, they only stay for a few months to a year. The rebuilding efforts are left to organizations like the Salvation Army.
The Army will not send in many people who aren't there already. There will be a few, of course, but mostly, the Army will funnel resources through the officers and corps who are already there and have a network of local people to help. It will be their job to help rebuild lives, support those whose families and livelihoods were washed away, and react to aspects of the disaster which we've barely begun to recognize. The orphanages, the hospitals, the cottage industries, the schools - all of these things will be done by the Salvation Army and other organizations with similar mandates (such as Foster Parents' Plan, for example.)
Bottom line: immediate donations to the Red Cross will get where they're going and be effective immediately. But when you donate again, three, six, twelve months from now, find a charity like the Army whose mandate is to rebuild. Also, if you can afford to donate without getting a tax receipt, consider donating to their long-term disaster relief fund. They're looking for $0.5 million from each of the twenty territories which is financially solvent. Needless to say, that includes all of North America. The goal is $10 million in an immediate, readily-available disaster relief fund, housed in London until needed. (Though it wasn't specified, I believe they're talking U.S. funds. They usually do.)
All territories have websites. I know there are four territories in the States, but I do not know how they are divided up. A simple google search will tell you, though.
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(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-02 05:54 pm (UTC)Well done!
(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-02 06:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-02 06:12 pm (UTC)They outlined what they are doing, they have people there, have been in the area for a while, and will be there for a while more.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-02 06:29 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-02 06:42 pm (UTC)What I would really like to do is eventually go on vacation to Thailand, we always wanted to, but I would like to bump it up a bit, as soon as we can afford it.
When 9/11 happened, the first weekend they allowed people back downtown to shop, we went. A way to support the businesses there, return things to normal. I'd love to do the same in that area. Help return things to normal. In the future, of course, but it's even higher on my 'to visit' list now.
(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-02 06:56 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-02 08:25 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2005-01-02 08:36 pm (UTC)