Kudos to Doctors Without Borders for posting the following information on its website:
| Normally, we advertise our product in this space. Today, we simply ask that you make a contribution to the disaster relief organization of your choice. Thank you. |
A Special Note Regarding Donations for South Asia Disaster ReliefDoctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) has received an extraordinary outpouring of support for the people of South Asia and we are extremely grateful. As you know, it is very important to MSF that we use your contribution as you intend it to be used. This is why we want to let you know that at this time, MSF estimates that we have received sufficient funds for our currently foreseen emergency response in this region.
Right now, thanks to the generosity of our supporters, our teams are on the ground providing assistance to people affected by this disaster and carrying out multiple assessments in the region in order to determine how MSF can provide the most effective aid to those in need. We will continue to assess our financial needs as the scope of our operations in the affected areas becomes clearer over the coming days.
We kindly request that you contribute to our general Emergency Relief Fund, which is enabling our quick response to the current disaster in South Asia as well as humanitarian needs in war-torn Darfur, Sudan, and elsewhere in the over 70 countries where MSF is working around the world. The Emergency Relief Fund provides a resource for MSF to draw upon immediately when a crisis occurs, allowing a quick response to events where the speed of our response is crucial to saving lives.
Please understand that your support is very important to us–it is the support of individual contributors like you that is enabling us to send our emergency medical teams and relief supplies so quickly to help the people affected by the South Asia disaster.
Donors
are now on notice: Their contributions to Doctors Without Borders will
go to a good cause, but not, at least for the time being, to aid the
victims of the earthquake-tsunamis in South Asia. It may be that
Doctors Without Borders will increase the allocation of its reserve
funds to aid these victims at some time in the future. But as we read
this notice, those who want to target funds for immediate benefit to
the victims of the earthquake-tsunamis should look for another
recipient relief organization. Donors wanting to help those victims
need to read online donation forms carefully and ask questions when
they telephone pledges.
We found the above notice posted on the Doctors Without Borders website on January 1, 2005. If Doctors Without Borders is your favored recipient for relief assistance, you should check their website periodically to see if circumstances have changed, assuming you want to earmark your donation to South Asia eathquake-tsunamis relief.
Donors should also be careful when it comes to
telephone solicitations from charities. It is sad to say, but there
will be con artists who try to take advantage of the public's
goodwill. We recommend making donations only to established and
well-known organizations, and then, only through established channels
and only when the donor initiates the communication. However, we would make an exception for collections sponsored by well-known organizations at their events and functions (e.g. a professional basketball team raising funds from fans in attendance at a game).
While a technical issue, organizations considering collection of funds on behalf of relief organizations should check local and state law. It may be necessary to obtain the permission of the relief organization before collecting on their behalf. At a minimum, the organization should check with the relief organization to make sure the funds will go to aid victims of the South Asia earthquake-tsunamis reflief efforts. You don't want to be asking your patrons or the public for contributions to aid these victims if, in fact, the named relief organization will not earmark the funds for such relief.
| THE
FOREGOING IS NOT AND SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN AS LEGAL ADVICE. IF LEGAL
ADVICE IS REQUIRED, THE NON-PROFIT OR OTHER PARTY IN QUESTION SHOULD
SEEK THE ADVICE OF QUALIFIED LEGAL COUNSEL. If you liked this post, please visit http://www.charitygovernance.com for a description of our Guide/Tutorial for non-profit directors and officers entitled “Avoiding Trouble While Doing Good: A Guide for the Non-Profit Director and Officer.” Copyright 2005, Auto Didactix LLC. All Rights Reserved. You may not copy any portion of this post to a computer "clipboard" for re-posting anywhere or e-mailing, or otherwise reproduce this post. If you want others to review this post, you may provide them with a link to this web blog. Any use of the material or ideas in this post by reporters or other publishers shall make reference to Jack Siegel, author of "Avoiding Trouble While Doing Good, A Guide for the Non-Profit Director and Officer" and this web blog. For additional information call 773-325-2124 |
