Chris Blattman

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Maybe you could be the 4,501st new charity to open in Japan?

A friend of mine has been working to register a nonprofit for several months now. She was just informed by the IRS that her application would have to wait because they’ve received 4,500 applications for new nonprofits to respond to the disaster in Japan.

…After the 2004 tsunami, one third of all nonprofits working on the tsunami recovery efforts in Thailand were started after the disaster.

I recently attended an event where the guest speaker had started over 35 nonprofits, including one that went to help in Thailand. While I’d met staff from his nonprofit in Thailand, we didn’t bother tracking them because they weren’t really accomplishing anything. But there he was encouraging everyone in the audience to start their own nonprofit as well.

More from the aptly named Good Intentions are Not Enough.

Folks: If you feel you must donate money to one of the richest countries on the planet, please at least give to an existing relief organization.

4 Responses

  1. In recent years, Japan has evolved to be one of the wealthiest and technologically advanced countries in the world. While their current situation is unfortunate, it is not helping at all to continuously establish pointless aid agencies. There is only so much that can be done and only so much money that people will donate. Chances are they are not going to donate their money to some unknown, newly established organization. If people want to help in the face of a disaster, then that is truly honorable. However, they should make sure they are dedicating their time or money to a legitimate and well respected organization where they know it will be put to good use.

  2. There is absolutely no need for thousands of aid agencies especially all working to help the same disaster. Many of these start-up aid groups are likely to be completely ineffective. I also would not be surprises a bit when we hear of fake aid groups taking money from donors who want to help and never passing along a dime of the money to Japan or anywhere else for that matter. Japan does not need all of this aid but if someone feels the need to donate at least donate to an aid group that was established before the earthquake occurred because it’s much more likely to see your funds do at least some good.

  3. Here in Malaysia, at a shopping mall last night on the way to dinner, we walked across a group of Japanese, bowing politely, and soliciting for donations. It felt bad not to donate.

    Malaysia is of course poorer than Japan. On the other hand, upper class Malaysians are probably richer than the average Japanese.

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