Help for HAITI

This article came from our OneGiving e-Gifts January-February newsletter, to subscribe go to http://www.onegiving.com/ to receive our monthly newsletters! This edition we are highlighting the HAITI relief efforts.

As the earthquake hit Haiti in January, we felt it most appropriate to focus the organizations of the month on Haiti. As we saw an outpouring from around the world to help the people and country of Haiti in a time of need, we received many calls from friends reaching out for the best information on who they could donate to that would ensure the money was getting to the people on the ground and wasn’t getting tied up in bureaucracy.

They also reached out to let us know that they wished OneGiving™ was officially up and running during this time of need. We had to take a deep breath as we too wished that OneGiving™ was in the space of being ready, infrastructure built, technology up and running and transparency and accountability ready to track and help more people and more lives. But alas, as has been with the journey with OneGiving™, it has been about patience and building it right, rather than rushing to get it done quickly and without ample thought, time and resources.

So, rather than focus on what isn’t, we decided to focus on how we could help those who have been asking and we decided to put together a list of a few of the nonprofits that we have donated to and/or that have been recommended as having a strong presence on the ground in Haiti - both short and long term - and/or that have strong leadership, accountability and impact.

Below is a list of different organizations. Please note that this is in no way a comprehensive list, just a list that we have pulled together from the different contacts in the nonprofit arena and globally that have made recommendations. We thank you for your generosity and outpouring of support and giving for the people and country of Haiti as it demonstrates a beautiful heart-opening of people around the world and the planet and knowing that in that giving, we are coming together more as one people, one world and one planet!

The Lambi Fund - http://www.lambifund.org/
The Lambi Fund is an organization run by Haitian women in Haiti and has a long history in Haiti. The organization is working with the people of Haiti during this time of crisis, but has been there before and will continue to remain in Haiti after many of the relief efforts go away. The organization is a diverse group of individuals from many walks of life who work together toward economic justice, democracy and alternative sustainable development in Haiti. The Lambi Fund's mission is to assist the popular, democratic movement in Haiti. Its goal is to help strengthen civil society as a necessary foundation of democracy and development. The fund channels financial and other resources to community-based organizations that promote the social and economic empowerment of the Haitian people. The Lambi Fund supports projects that embrace: non-violent, non-partisan, community-based, promoting the advancement of women, using education and training for empowerment, and promoting the overall democratic movement.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières - http://doctorswithoutborders.org/
http://doctorswithoutborders.org/news/allcontent.cfm?id=208
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international medical humanitarian organization created by doctors and journalists in France in 1971. MSF provides aid in nearly 60 countries to people whose survival is threatened by violence, neglect, or catastrophe, primarily due to armed conflict, epidemics, malnutrition, exclusion from health care or natural disasters. MSF received the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999. MSF is a reliable, sustainable and well-reputable organization providing humanitarian aid in Haiti, as well as providing information and the latest news and updates on the situation in Haiti. On their site, they also have a record of where their expenses go keeping transparency and accountability front and center in their work (http://doctorswithoutborders.org/donate/).

African Methodist Episcopal Church Service and Development Agency (AME-SADA) - http://www.ame-sada.org/help.html
AME-SADA is the humanitarian relief and development entity of the African Methodist Episcopal Church (AME), the oldest organized African American Church in the United States. AME-SADA is a nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life in Africa and the Caribbean. Since its founding 28 years ago, AME-SADA has demonstrated the implementation of its mission, Helping People Help Themselves, by providing essential assistance to those in need through health, micro-credit and education programs, as wells as emergency humanitarian aid in Africa and Haiti. With its headquarters in Washington, D.C., and field offices in Haiti and South Africa, AME-SADA has a long-standing commitment to supporting the people of Haiti towards self-sufficiency. With the latest earthquake in Haiti, AME-SADA is committed to short time aid and long term assistance and involvement in ensuring sustainability in Haiti.

Partners in Health/Stand with Haiti - http://www.standwithhaiti.org/
Partners in Health (PIH) has been on ground in Haiti for over 20 years. They have been pioneers in providing health care for poor and have over 300 doctors and hundreds more relief volunteers to make a difference, as they understand the people, their culture, their needs and their pain. PIH works to bring modern medical care to poor communities in 12 countries around the world. The work of PIH has three goals: to care for our patients, to alleviate the root causes of disease in their communities, and to share lessons learned around the world. Based in Boston, PIH employs more than 11,000 people worldwide, including doctors, nurses and community health workers. The vast majority of PIH staff are local nationals based in the communities they serve and they are committed to continuing to serve Haiti as they did long before the earthquake.

United Sikhs Haiti Relief Effort - http://www.unitedsikhs.org/haitiearthquake/
The United Sikhs began in 1999 when a core group of Sikhs from NY came together to assist in the socio-economic development of immigrant communities in NY. Since then the group has expanded its efforts to pursue projects for the spiritual, social and economic empowerment of underpriveleged and minority communities around the world. The United Sikhs recognize the human race as ONE and the core of their philosophy is an unwavering commitment to civic service and social progress on behalf of the common good. The United Sikhs has created a Haitian relief effort to help with search and rescue as well as continued aid and development.

Yéle Haiti Foundation - http://yele.org/
Yéle Haiti is a foundation started by Grammy-Award winning musician, producer and social entrepreneur Wyclef Jean. Through Yéle Haiti, Wyclef uses music, sports and the media to reinforce projects that are making a difference in education, health, environment and community development in Haiti. In practical terms this translates to over 3,000 new jobs, close to 7,000 children being put in school, more than 8,000 people a month receiving food and approximately 2,000 young people a month learning about HIV/AIDS prevention. With the earthquake, Yéle Haiti is committed to furthering its advocacy, work and voice for a sustainable Haiti.

Humanitarian International Services Group (HISG) - http://www.hisg.org/
HISG is a non-profit that specializes in private sector resource mobilization and management. They have been connecting resources to needs for crisis response and humanitarian developmental initiatives. Since 2001, HISG has mobilized and moved tens of millions of dollars in humanitarian aid at less than 10% administrative costs, has established institutional capability to mobilize and manage private sector resource capacity, and has networked over 45 warehouses across the USA to work collaboratively to aid around the world. HISG’s is committed to development and aid in Haiti and is partnering with private sector and other nonprofits to provide and deliver needed resources and care for the people of Haiti.

Caring House Project Foundation -
http://www.frank-mckinney.com/caring_project.aspx
Caring House Project Foundation is a nonprofit committed to create self-sufficiency by providing housing, food, water, medical support and opportunity for the desperately poor and homeless from around the world, particularly in the Caribbean, South America, Indonesia, Africa and the United States. Caring House Project Foundation has been committed to doing work in Haiti, with current commitments including building new villages in Chameau, Mannuel, Mahotiere/Rampa and finishing villages already started in Terre Rouge, Fond Rouge Torbek and Paroty, Haiti. Caring House Project Foundation was founded in 1998 by Frank McKinney, a daredevil Real Estate "artist," 5-time international bestselling author, philanthropist, and visionary who was committed to making a difference as a result of his own success in real estate and sustainable, green building.

Tax Relief for Haiti Legislation
Several bills have come out in Congress to let people deduct charitable contributions for relief in Haiti in the 2009 tax year through March 2010, including:
Haiti relief bill HR 4462 http://www.washingtonwatch.com/bills/show/111_HR_4462.html
The Haiti Action Initiative and Tax Incentive Act of 2010 (H.R. 4468)
To accelerate the income tax benefits for charitable cash contributions for the relief of victims of the January 12, 2010, earthquake in Haiti (H.R. 4467).
A bill to accelerate the income tax benefits for charitable cash contributions for the relief of victims of the earthquake in Haiti (S. 2931)
The Haiti Assistance Income Tax Incentive Act (S. 2936).

Thank you for your continued gifts and commitments to helping rebuild Haiti.

For future editions, please send in your ideas or recommendations for nonprofits, corporations, celebrities, individuals or others that inspire you and you would like to see us highlight to onegiving@onegiving.com.