Cheyenne
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Giving to match the grief
After attacks, donations are unprecedented
By ALAN J. BORSUK
of the Journal Sentinel staff
http://www.jsonline.com/news/attack/sep01/fund22092101.asp
The nationwide outpouring of giving in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has dwarfed anything the American charitable scene has experienced before.
No one appears to have a handle on the total amount given and pledged since Sept. 11, but it appeared likely Friday that it worked out to more than $1 for every American.
In other words, the total was almost surely already over $300 million before the unprecedented telethon Friday evening in which a galaxy of celebrities appealed for donations on a program shown simultaneously on almost every network.
The American Red Cross alone said it had received donations of $145 million as of Friday, and the September 11th Fund created by United Way and the New York Community Trust tallied donations of more than $100 million.
The libertyunites.org Web site that President Bush endorsed in his address to Congress on Thursday listed online donations of more than $78 million as of Friday.
Those figures can't be added together because they certainly include some duplication of donations, but they also exclude much of the huge array of charitable giving that has come in response to the terrorist incidents, ranging from kids opening their piggy banks to numerous foundations and individual donors announcing multimillion-dollar contributions.
More than 30 major organizations are conducting nationwide charitable campaigns.
"Extraordinary catastrophes require extraordinary responses, and you're seeing that," said Frederick Kasten, a Milwaukee businessman who is co-chairman of the United Way general campaign in Milwaukee this year.
The special September 11 campaign being conducted in Milwaukee by United Way had raised the most money of any United Way effort in the United States as of midweek, local officials said they were told. By the end of the week, the local total was pushing $1 million.
Spending barely begins
Nationally, leaders of non-profit organizations involved in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks have only begun to use money that has come in. They are ready to answer few specific questions on where all the money will go or how much they will need overall.
But they are sure that what has been happening to items pouring in from around the country won't happen to the money. While blankets, socks, coats and such things are piling up in warehouses, are going unused or are outright refused, the appeal for money goes on.
Officials of some of the fund drives are sure that the magnitude of the disaster means the magnitude of need will be unmatched.
They are also issuing wide and firm assurances that all money donations will be used well, provided the donor makes the contribution to established, mainstream organizations and the donor leaves the organizations flexibility in deciding how to spend it.
There have been reports of scams in Sept. 11 fund raising, leading to warnings by New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and others that people should not give to unfamiliar solicitors. Experts on philanthropy say that even in a time of crisis, it is appropriate to use care and ask questions about how a donation is going to be used.
Although the case for making donations is compelling, what is needed might be much different from what donors think.
Many needs covered
Many people are giving specifically to the spouses and children of firefighters and police who were killed, for example. But the financial needs in such cases are almost sure to be addressed in extensive fashion by existing benefits the survivors have under local and federal government programs.
Many people may believe they are giving to support rescue efforts or cleanup, but those expenses are being paid by the government. No one has figured out how much of a $40 billion package Congress approved will go to the human needs of those directly involved in the disasters, but it is likely to be a significant amount.
Furthermore, insurance companies and Congress also are launching efforts that could lead to relatively prompt financial settlements with survivors of those who died.
On the other hand, the broad human needs, including grief counseling, job training and an array of social services, are expected to be enormous, both in the immediate areas affected and across the U.S. And, experts say, the victims and survivors who have the greatest financial need are likely to be ones who attract much less media attention, such as the families of the hundreds of low-income workers killed in the World Trade Center.
Asked if the amount raised might exceed the need, George C. Ruotolo Jr., chairman of the Trust for Philanthropy of the American Association of Fundraising Counsel, a key organization of professional fund-raisers, responded, "That's not possible.
"The human, emotional, physical toll - we're not raising money to rebuild the World Trade Center, but the toll on our country and on our families that have been affected by this is just unbelievable," said Ruotolo, who is president of a fund-raising firm in New Jersey.
Asked if more might be raised than is needed, Devorah Goldburg, a spokeswoman in Washington for the Red Cross, said needs arising from what happened Sept. 11 will continue to emerge for many months, and the Red Cross is beginning work on efforts such as grief programs, to be made available across the U.S. The organization is also aiming to create what she called unique programs to aid the families of victims and survivors.
Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a Washington-based publication widely read in charitable circles, said money has been coming to organizations at an "incredible pace.
"Nobody's come out with good figures to say, 'This is what's going to have to happen in terms of the rebuilding and helping people . . . and then we should stop,' " she said.
In more normal situations, that would be a concern, but in this case, it appears to be enough for many people to know they are giving to something that has affected them so deeply.
"It's not as though this money is going to go to line the pockets of some charity official," Palmer said. "They'll be using this money, if not for this crisis, another one."
Some funds, such as the United Way's September 11th fund, have announced they will use none of their donations for administrative expenses so that all can go to providing services.
Palmer said donors who want their contributions to go to specific uses should designate that, and that charities are good about honoring such requests.
She said her staff had checked on the national response to past American disasters and, even adjusting for inflation, was confident no prior case had brought such overwhelming national charitable reaction.
The Red Cross' Goldburg said, "We are honoring donor intent. We are honoring where they want the money to be spent."
But money, unlike blankets and canned food, can be used flexibly, and organizations clearly prefer to have that flexibility.
*************************************************
Do any of you remember an event where even the THOUGHT of having too much money donated ever came up as a topic of discussion?
My guess is that a lot of people that normally never contribute a cent to charity opened their wallets for this tragedy. Just another effect the terrorists couldn't have predicted they would cause- generosity by America and the whole world. What a wonderful sight to see! Mankind at its best, doing what it can to help those in need.
After attacks, donations are unprecedented
By ALAN J. BORSUK
of the Journal Sentinel staff
http://www.jsonline.com/news/attack/sep01/fund22092101.asp
The nationwide outpouring of giving in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has dwarfed anything the American charitable scene has experienced before.
No one appears to have a handle on the total amount given and pledged since Sept. 11, but it appeared likely Friday that it worked out to more than $1 for every American.
In other words, the total was almost surely already over $300 million before the unprecedented telethon Friday evening in which a galaxy of celebrities appealed for donations on a program shown simultaneously on almost every network.
The American Red Cross alone said it had received donations of $145 million as of Friday, and the September 11th Fund created by United Way and the New York Community Trust tallied donations of more than $100 million.
The libertyunites.org Web site that President Bush endorsed in his address to Congress on Thursday listed online donations of more than $78 million as of Friday.
Those figures can't be added together because they certainly include some duplication of donations, but they also exclude much of the huge array of charitable giving that has come in response to the terrorist incidents, ranging from kids opening their piggy banks to numerous foundations and individual donors announcing multimillion-dollar contributions.
More than 30 major organizations are conducting nationwide charitable campaigns.
"Extraordinary catastrophes require extraordinary responses, and you're seeing that," said Frederick Kasten, a Milwaukee businessman who is co-chairman of the United Way general campaign in Milwaukee this year.
The special September 11 campaign being conducted in Milwaukee by United Way had raised the most money of any United Way effort in the United States as of midweek, local officials said they were told. By the end of the week, the local total was pushing $1 million.
Spending barely begins
Nationally, leaders of non-profit organizations involved in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks have only begun to use money that has come in. They are ready to answer few specific questions on where all the money will go or how much they will need overall.
But they are sure that what has been happening to items pouring in from around the country won't happen to the money. While blankets, socks, coats and such things are piling up in warehouses, are going unused or are outright refused, the appeal for money goes on.
Officials of some of the fund drives are sure that the magnitude of the disaster means the magnitude of need will be unmatched.
They are also issuing wide and firm assurances that all money donations will be used well, provided the donor makes the contribution to established, mainstream organizations and the donor leaves the organizations flexibility in deciding how to spend it.
There have been reports of scams in Sept. 11 fund raising, leading to warnings by New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and others that people should not give to unfamiliar solicitors. Experts on philanthropy say that even in a time of crisis, it is appropriate to use care and ask questions about how a donation is going to be used.
Although the case for making donations is compelling, what is needed might be much different from what donors think.
Many needs covered
Many people are giving specifically to the spouses and children of firefighters and police who were killed, for example. But the financial needs in such cases are almost sure to be addressed in extensive fashion by existing benefits the survivors have under local and federal government programs.
Many people may believe they are giving to support rescue efforts or cleanup, but those expenses are being paid by the government. No one has figured out how much of a $40 billion package Congress approved will go to the human needs of those directly involved in the disasters, but it is likely to be a significant amount.
Furthermore, insurance companies and Congress also are launching efforts that could lead to relatively prompt financial settlements with survivors of those who died.
On the other hand, the broad human needs, including grief counseling, job training and an array of social services, are expected to be enormous, both in the immediate areas affected and across the U.S. And, experts say, the victims and survivors who have the greatest financial need are likely to be ones who attract much less media attention, such as the families of the hundreds of low-income workers killed in the World Trade Center.
Asked if the amount raised might exceed the need, George C. Ruotolo Jr., chairman of the Trust for Philanthropy of the American Association of Fundraising Counsel, a key organization of professional fund-raisers, responded, "That's not possible.
"The human, emotional, physical toll - we're not raising money to rebuild the World Trade Center, but the toll on our country and on our families that have been affected by this is just unbelievable," said Ruotolo, who is president of a fund-raising firm in New Jersey.
Asked if more might be raised than is needed, Devorah Goldburg, a spokeswoman in Washington for the Red Cross, said needs arising from what happened Sept. 11 will continue to emerge for many months, and the Red Cross is beginning work on efforts such as grief programs, to be made available across the U.S. The organization is also aiming to create what she called unique programs to aid the families of victims and survivors.
Stacy Palmer, editor of the Chronicle of Philanthropy, a Washington-based publication widely read in charitable circles, said money has been coming to organizations at an "incredible pace.
"Nobody's come out with good figures to say, 'This is what's going to have to happen in terms of the rebuilding and helping people . . . and then we should stop,' " she said.
In more normal situations, that would be a concern, but in this case, it appears to be enough for many people to know they are giving to something that has affected them so deeply.
"It's not as though this money is going to go to line the pockets of some charity official," Palmer said. "They'll be using this money, if not for this crisis, another one."
Some funds, such as the United Way's September 11th fund, have announced they will use none of their donations for administrative expenses so that all can go to providing services.
Palmer said donors who want their contributions to go to specific uses should designate that, and that charities are good about honoring such requests.
She said her staff had checked on the national response to past American disasters and, even adjusting for inflation, was confident no prior case had brought such overwhelming national charitable reaction.
The Red Cross' Goldburg said, "We are honoring donor intent. We are honoring where they want the money to be spent."
But money, unlike blankets and canned food, can be used flexibly, and organizations clearly prefer to have that flexibility.
*************************************************
Do any of you remember an event where even the THOUGHT of having too much money donated ever came up as a topic of discussion?
My guess is that a lot of people that normally never contribute a cent to charity opened their wallets for this tragedy. Just another effect the terrorists couldn't have predicted they would cause- generosity by America and the whole world. What a wonderful sight to see! Mankind at its best, doing what it can to help those in need.
