When we hear about a disaster such as the recent earthquakes in China, the Myanmar cyclone, or the tornadoes in Oklahoma, Missouri, and Georgia, we want to help. Writing a check doesn't seem like a personal connection, and just about everyone can spare a few items of clothing or a blanket to help someone in need. So we go through our closets and...

Hold that thought. Generosity is a good thing, but anyone who's ever been the recipient of a well intentioned but inappropriate act of helping can tell you that sometimes, it's not the thought that counts. Collecting donations for victims of disaster is far nobler than when your Uncle Joe dropped off that ugly, uncomfortable couch at your first apartment without asking you first, but trying to send clothes, food, and blankets across the country or the world can often do more harm than good.

InterAction, a coalition of more than 165 "U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) focused on the world’s poor and most vulnerable people," explains why money is actually better than donated goods in the event of a disaster:

• Cash allows disaster relief professionals to procure exactly what is needed in a disaster situation.
• Cash is the most efficient donation because it does not use up scarce resources such as transportation routes, staff time, and warehouse space and because it can be transferred very quickly.
• Cash donations do not require transportation costs, which can outweigh the value of materials donated.
• Cash supports the economy of the disaster-stricken region.
• Cash donations prevent culturally, dietary, and environmentally inappropriate giving.

After Hurricane Katrina, USA Today reported in Cities bursting at seams with excess clothes that relief organizations were overwhelmed with donations from people who wanted to help. Warehouse space was exceeded, and some of the donations even had to be shipped overseas. The American Red Cross doesn't even accept donations of goods except in very limited circumstances from manufacturers. Their Donate Goods page explains some additional concerns with donations of goods:

...because we have no way of knowing what spontaneous individual donations or unsolicited collections of items will consist of, we cannot ensure there will be enough of a particular item to distribute it equitably, or if the donated products will even be appropriate for the relief effort.

People give unusable and inappropriate materials to local charities all the time, which is why disposal costs for those charities run high and they also end up baling large quantities of clothing to be sold for rags or recycling. During a disaster, people have even less time to think about the ramifications of their actions. The visions of flattened buildings and crying children are emotionally powerful, and people act without thinking. The USA Today article mentions mink teddy bears being donated after a California earthquake. I'm sure that those teddy bears could have provided comfort to children, but as a relief agency, are you going to prioritize distributing mink teddy bears or clean water?

The situation in Myanmar is especially dicey, since the government is refusing to allow most foreign aid workers into the country. Cash donations allow international aid organizations maximum flexibility in doing what they can to help, whether that means sending supplies into the country or aiding organizations in neighboring countries that may soon have permission to enter Myanmar. Some food and shelter donations have made it into the country.

So take those clothes and blankets to your local charities, and break out the checkbook instead for disaster relief. Nonprofit organizations, known as nongovernmental organizations (NGO) on the international front, are on the ground or on their way to provide assistance to the people affected by the natural disasters in Myanmar and China. GlobalGiving, an organization I mentioned last week, is a good one stop shop to connect you with those organizations. Their Myanmar relief page and their China relief page offer instant opportunities to help and to get updates from the organizations who are helping. Network For Good is another donation portal that lists various organizations who could use your help. Other expert organizations include Mercy Corps and Oxfam International.

If you want to do more than just pitch in your own money, there are plenty of creative ideas for fundraising out there:

• If your birthday is coming up, request donations in lieu of gifts. My friend and I did this after Hurricane Katrina, and we raised hundreds of dollars.
• Volunteer Boston reports that a man named Fred wanted to raise funds for the Lupus Foundation of New England. He pledged to cut his hair into a mullet if he raised $500. He raised $750.
• Britt Bravo of Have Fun Do Good suggests hosting a house party, and recommends a book to get you started if you need ideas. She also has links to several house party guides online.
• If you have a blog or website of your own, ask your readers to donate and let you know about it. Offer a book or a small gift card to an online shop as a prize, and every donor is entered into the drawing.

Long after the disasters have faded from public view, nonprofits will still be on the ground helping people whose lives were affected. A natural disaster doesn't just destroy property. It disrupts families, causes injury and illness, breaks apart economic relationships and damages businesses, and creates trauma for survivors. Nonprofit organizations that are part of the local community are vital to rebuild and bring stability to areas that have been hurt by disasters.

After Hurricane Katrina, media attention faded long before people's needs did. Nancy Schwartz, who writes about nonprofit marketing at her blog Getting Attention, recently took a tour of New Orleans to visit projects run by local nonprofits that are trying to rebuild that community. The projects she saw ranged from low income housing and assistance with utilities and repairs to park restoration. It will take years to repair what Katrina tore down. In Myanmar and China, it may take more.

So when you donate to assist in a disaster, take a minute and make a note for yourself to check on that area again in a year's time. Chances are they may still need your help, and nonprofits will still be doing good work.

[Image by Vangelis Thomaidis.]