Donating to the Right Cause

The EWMBAA Community Service Committee chose to raise funds to support Yele Haiti. The CSC chose Yele because it has been in operation in Haiti since 2005 and will continue to do so long after the relief efforts are completed. They know how to utilize local resources, they get through local government issues more quickly and efficiently, and the money will be spent on long-term recovery rather than only immediate needs.

We believe in Yele Haiti. So, it was rather shocking to see an articles contending that founder Wyclef Jean personally profited from donations to Yele. (Nonprofit tax experts found no serious wrongdoing.) Upon thorough review, we found the allegations to be based on a superficial understanding of how nonprofits utilize resources and report business transactions. Given greater information stemming from the power of national press, however, we have to acknowledge that Yele may not have always handled things properly in the past. With the current scrutiny, what is clear is that earthquake relief donations will go to help those in need. If you have any questions or would like further data, please contact Monika.

Putting all legal matters aside, what matters most is helping the victims of the earthquake. Port-au-Prince is in ruins. The destruction and loss of life from the earthquake and multiple aftershocks is beyond anyone's imagination. We ask that you give what you can to an organization that you feel proud supporting. Arabella Philanthropic Investment Advisors posted a brief guide to disaster funding that includes a list of organizations with strong ties to Haiti.

• CARE - With an active presence in Haiti since 1954, CARE's work there focuses on HIV/AIDS, reproductive health, maternal and child health, education, food security, and water and sanitation.
• Catholic Relief Services (CRS) - CRS has more than 50 years of experience in Haiti and currently serves some 200,000 of the poorest and most marginalized Haitians in the areas of health and nutrition, education, water and sanitation, HIV/AIDS, agriculture, peace building and migration.
• Oxfam - With a staff of 200, including a 15-member emergency response team, Oxfam International brings expertise in water, sanitation and public health in Haiti, as well as local knowledge and community networks established over the past decade. 
• PLAN - Having worked in Haiti since 1973, the organization currently implements child-centered community development programs featuring Health, Education for Girls and Boys, HIV/AIDS, and the Rights of the Child.
• Save the Children - Having worked in Haiti since 1985, primarily in Port-au-Prince and the Central Plateau region, Save the Children provides health, education, protection and food security programs to vulnerable children.

In addition to Arabella's list, we'll continue to add Haiti-based charities here as we identify them:

• Haitian Health Foundation - improves the health and well-being of the poor, the sick, and the infirm of Jeremie to break the bonds of poverty, which tie so many Haitians to a life of great deprivation
• Hope for Haiti - improves the quality of life for the Haitian people, particularly children, through education, nutrition, and healthcare
• Lambi Fund of Haiti - assists the popular, democratic movement in Haiti to help strengthen civil society in as a necessary foundation for democracy and development
• St. Bonafice Haiti Foundation - helps the people of the desperately poor rural region of Fond des Blancs
• What If? Foundation - feeds and educations impoverished children in Port-au-Prince to provide hope and opportunity for a brighter future

Partners in Health has been providing health care in Haiti for over 20 years and is currently working to address the needs of those injured in the quake.

Regardless of which group you choose to support, we'd love to track participation. Please email Monika Matthews to let tell us about it (monika_matthews@mba.berkeley.edu). We've already raised over $1,200!!!

Thanks!
The CSC Team