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October/November 2007                                                                                            Volume 13 - Number 1/2

Perspectives...

Trends in individual, corporate, and non-profit donations in international disasters in the past three decades 2000-2006, 90s, 80s
By Kristen Mulligan

Overall, individual, corporate, and non-profit donations to areas affected by international disasters have risen over the past three decades.  Unfortunately, record-keeping of these donations are often lacking, and the accuracy of the reports that do exist are sometimes questionable.  According to ReliefWeb, total donations made toward international disasters between 2000 and 2006 amounted to roughly $23,766,927,330
(http://ocha.unog.ch/fts2/by_sector.asp?viewDonors=true&type_of_cont=ND ) .
Donations reached their peak in 2005, at $9,126,128,049.  During this year most of the funds were in response to the tsunami that hit Indonesia.  Individuals and nonprofit organizations gave roughly $4,645,397,732 between 2000 and 2006 (http://ocha.unog.ch/fts2/donor_contributions_by_sector.asp?record_ID=302&country_name=Private+%28individuals+%26+organisations%29 ) .  

During 1990-1999, ReliefWeb reported donations made to international disasters totaling $2,387,367,156 ( http://www.reliefweb.int/arfts/index.html ). Donations reached their peak in 1998 at $1,150,876,822.  The majority of this amount provided relief to areas devastated by Hurricane Mitch in Central America.  

From 1984-1989, ReliefWeb reported donations made to international disasters totaling $1,273,106,555.  Donations reached their peak in 1988 when they reached about $632,421,421.  Most of these funds went towards helping countries in South and Central America devastated by flooding.  

Suzanne H. Brooks, Director of the Center for International Disaster Information  (CIDI), states that statistics found earlier than the late 1990s are more likely to reflect only government to government donations. Ms. Brooks also stated that figures for donations before 1990 are less likely to be found or are less reliable.   CIDI itself only posts International Disaster Situation Reports as far back as 1996 ( http://cidi.org/disaster/).  The United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs has published its Annual Reports, which include global figures, from as far back as 2002
(http://ochaonline.un.org/FundingFinance/tabid/1082/Default.aspx ).    

The question of commodity value donations included in "funds donated" figures is also important.  The true value of provisions needed at the times of the disasters such as medical supplies, food, tents, and blankets is often miscalculated and inflated.  Less useful donations (such as expired medications) are "valued" at a much higher rate than they should have been.

According to an article written by Noelle Barton, Sue Hoyne, and Ian Wilhem for the Chronicle of Philanthropy, for 81 American corporations alone, the total dollar amount of cash donations rose to $3.8 billion in 2006 from 3.5 billion in the previous year (http://www.philanthropy.com/subscribe/login?url=/premium/articles/v19/i21/21000701.htm ).   Many corporations have also begun to match the donations that their employees make.  

Individual, corporate, and nonprofit donations in international disasters have been increasing over the past three decades.  Nonprofits and corporations are increasingly keeping better records of their donations towards relief efforts for international disasters.  More charities and nonprofits are also offering individual better systems for tracking their donations to relief efforts. The trends in individual, nonprofit, and corporate donations show that, as international disasters have an increased effect on families and businesses worldwide, the global response in the form of donations has increased.