Below is a post from Mary Galeti, who is a fellow member of the Council on Foundations' Next Generation Task Force. I know all of us have beenaffected by the images coming from Haiti and the unimaginable need that is coming from our neighbor. These are the times where philanthropy needs to be at its best to alliviate sugffering and help Haiti develop a better future out of this tragedy. From Mary:
I have been rapt by the devastating images coming out of Haiti. What I have found particularly interesting is the outpouring of support—not only on television, but also on Facebook and Twitter.
Organizers have created opportunities for people to give via text message. People are also posting messages and tweets about what organizations are doing and what events are being organized to collect goods and funds. While these are all good actions, I’ve realized that it’s hard to do good due diligence in such short order.
As the Family Philanthropy Conference approaches, I’m struck by the role that families can play as leaders in moments like these (noting in particular Steve Gunderson’s closing thought in his post “Philanthropy’s Response to Haiti”). Perhaps we, as a field, should think about the best ways to communicate what works, what’s needed and maybe even be a conduit to get the public support to the people and places in need. We can be organizers and leaders during times of trouble and turmoil—connecting those who want to help with key stakeholders on the ground.
Read the rest here.