The Good, The Bad, and Online Fundraising for Hurricane Katrina
(en francais)
From the Politicker - weekly newsletter of Polictics Online
The Good, The Bad, and Online Fundraising for Hurricane Katrina
As the enormity of Hurricane Katrina's human and economic cost is realized, the outpouring of online donations continues to increase, especially to Web sites that provide instantaneous donation processing. “Just as with last year's tsunami, the ease and immediacy of using the Internet to collect donations enables charities to respond at the speed of life," said Kintera CEO, a maker of online fundraising software, "In the past, it would take organizations days to ramp up its fundraising efforts to reach donors. Today, online technology allowed our clients to react within hours."
Money is pouring in on the internet in record-breaking numbers. One fundraising software company reported that their customers involved in providing disaster relief services to hurricane victims collectively raised nearly $14 million online in one day, smashing the previous record of $2 million in a single day. Online donating doesn’t stop at dollars and cents. You can donate everything from web advertising space to a spare bedroom for an evacuee or even play in an online poker tournament, with the proceeds being matched and donated to the American Red Cross.
But, donator beware. What comes via email as a request from a reputable charity for aid, looks like a real email, and may link you to a site that looks like a real site, but isn’t a real site. Almost as fast as nonprofits rallied to help Katrina victims, scammers hit the web to cash in on public sympathy. Con artists have covered a lot of cyber ground with differing tactics. Some have created Web sites claiming to collect donations for Hurricane Katrina victims with URL’s such as: Katrinahelp.com, katrinadonations.com and katrinarelief.com. Other scams come via email pretending to solicit money from well-known charities and yet others have set up online auctions with Katrina-related addresses. In response, the American Red Cross has issued tips for online donating online safely. Read the Tips
Related Articles:
Need is Vast, But So is Outpouring
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0902/p0 1s01-ussc.html
Fast Facts: American Red Cross Response to Hurricane Katrina
http://www.redcross.org/pressre lease/0,1077,0_314_4509,00.html
Scammers Hit Web in Katrina’s Wake
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2005/08/31/AR2005083102574_pf .html
Internet Enables Nonprofits to Respond at the ``Speed of Life'' to Hurricane Disaster
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/sit e/google/index.jsp? ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050831005257≠ wsLang=en
Donors Give Online at Record Levels for Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
http://i- newswire.com/pr44873.html
The Good, The Bad, and Online Fundraising for Hurricane Katrina
As the enormity of Hurricane Katrina's human and economic cost is realized, the outpouring of online donations continues to increase, especially to Web sites that provide instantaneous donation processing. “Just as with last year's tsunami, the ease and immediacy of using the Internet to collect donations enables charities to respond at the speed of life," said Kintera CEO, a maker of online fundraising software, "In the past, it would take organizations days to ramp up its fundraising efforts to reach donors. Today, online technology allowed our clients to react within hours."
Money is pouring in on the internet in record-breaking numbers. One fundraising software company reported that their customers involved in providing disaster relief services to hurricane victims collectively raised nearly $14 million online in one day, smashing the previous record of $2 million in a single day. Online donating doesn’t stop at dollars and cents. You can donate everything from web advertising space to a spare bedroom for an evacuee or even play in an online poker tournament, with the proceeds being matched and donated to the American Red Cross.
But, donator beware. What comes via email as a request from a reputable charity for aid, looks like a real email, and may link you to a site that looks like a real site, but isn’t a real site. Almost as fast as nonprofits rallied to help Katrina victims, scammers hit the web to cash in on public sympathy. Con artists have covered a lot of cyber ground with differing tactics. Some have created Web sites claiming to collect donations for Hurricane Katrina victims with URL’s such as: Katrinahelp.com, katrinadonations.com and katrinarelief.com. Other scams come via email pretending to solicit money from well-known charities and yet others have set up online auctions with Katrina-related addresses. In response, the American Red Cross has issued tips for online donating online safely. Read the Tips
Related Articles:
Need is Vast, But So is Outpouring
http://www.csmonitor.com/2005/0902/p0 1s01-ussc.html
Fast Facts: American Red Cross Response to Hurricane Katrina
http://www.redcross.org/pressre lease/0,1077,0_314_4509,00.html
Scammers Hit Web in Katrina’s Wake
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp- dyn/content/article/2005/08/31/AR2005083102574_pf .html
Internet Enables Nonprofits to Respond at the ``Speed of Life'' to Hurricane Disaster
http://home.businesswire.com/portal/sit e/google/index.jsp? ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20050831005257≠ wsLang=en
Donors Give Online at Record Levels for Hurricane Katrina Relief Efforts
http://i- newswire.com/pr44873.html
WE Speak at 11:54 p.m.
| en francais | Go to Top|
<< Home