In the wake of natural disasters, such as the earthquake in Haiti, it is natural to want to give of your substance to those in need.  We humans can be very generous when witnessing the suffering of our fellows.  Like many of you, my husband and I felt compelled to give to relief efforts in Haiti; and the use of new media to raise funds and awareness has been fascinating to witness.

However, something has been troubling me since the earthquake struck.  Where were we the day before the earthquake?  Where was our money then?  It is not as if Haiti was a thriving, well-balanced nation prior to the quake.  There was desperate poverty and sickening governmental corruption for much of the island-nation’s history. My discomfort with that reality crystallized after reading a blog post tweeted about the challenges of spending funds raised in the aftermath of a disaster.

The blogger spoke about unrestricted giving and in that moment my discomfort crystallized into understanding.  Not-for-profit organizations are required by law to abide by donor intent.  For example, if a donation is made to the World Food Programme’s Haiti operations, those funds must be used for that specific purpose.  As a not-for-profit professional I come across this frequently.  If my organization wishes to use donations for a purpose other than that which it was expressly given, regardless of other organizational priorities, we must receive permission from the donor or go to court.  One of the more famous examples of an organization skirting the line with donor intent is the Princeton case which resulted in the University returning $90 million dollars as part of the lawsuit settlement.  I offer this example to demonstrate how scrupulously charitable organizations must spend raised funds.

American generosity is a remarkable thing. A disaster like the one in Haiti gives us something to focus that generosity upon. Yet, the needs of those less fortunate than we do not disappear after we click “donate” on the Red Cross’s website.  Failed states remain failed and our fellow humans starve across the globe every day.  Giving unrestricted donations to organizations like Medcins Sans Frontieres or the American Red Cross allows for funds to be targeted to the area of greatest need, rather than the most recent disaster alone.  Not only does giving unrestricted dollars help ease administrative burdens, but it also means that my $20 can help a family in Darfur or Sri Lanka or Honduras as well.  It means that in two weeks, when the twenty-four hour news cycle has moved on to something else, the money I gave, inspired by the crisis in Haiti, could impact a less visible, but no less desperate need somewhere else.

Do not mistake me.  The donations made specifically for Haitian assistance are warranted and needed, but there has always been need.  Unrestricted giving allows your donation to have the most impact possible.  An unrestricted gift to Partners in Health prior to the earthquake could have helped build and maintain the facilities that are currently serving earthquake survivors in Haiti.  The next time your generosity impulse is tripped consider giving an unrestricted gift to your favorite organization.