World Disaster Report 2013

Since 1993 the 'World Disaster Report' has been an annual examination of trends in humanitarian aid covering topics ranging from: Public Health and Ethics in Aid, to Urban Risk and Hunger & Malnutrition. Produced by the International Federation of Red Crescent Societies in partnership with Harvard's Humanitarian Initiative, this report aims to track trends, highlight facts, and analyze contemporary events and their impacts on populations worldwide.

The subject of this year's report focuses on the impact technological innovation has had on humanitarian action. It examines the progress made in reducing lives lost through the innovation and integration of tech. It also devotes a chapter to understanding two important assumptions: "that adding technology is inevitable and that doing so will generate progress." While not having read the chapter yet, I appreciate that there is an examination of the risks involved given the rapid transformation of how we use technology, and how those risks could potentially impact how humanitarian aid is delivered. With many new innovations, we tend to gloss over the bad in favor of the good, so the honest approach to both sides of the 'tech in aid' issue is welcomed.

I hope that after reading through the document that one comes away with a sense of optimism that technology can and will continue to play an important role in reducing loss of life and property due to disasters, and to remember that technology should remain a means to an end and not an end in and of itself.

http://www.ifrc.org/PageFiles/134658/WDR%202013%20complete.pdf

Show me the money...

While not all disasters are created equal in terms of news coverage, scope of damage, and economic impact, etc...the desire to do something is powerful, and oftentimes that desire manifests itself in the form of making a monetary donation.

The knee-jerk reaction is to donate to the Red Cross, a response that can be seen in the high profile donations of Kevin Durant, Carrie Underwood, The Oklahoma Thunder, and Chesapeake Energy Corp. Following the Moore tornado, the Red Cross has received more than $15 million in donations which underscores the power donations have following an event. However, with the advent of crowdfunding sites, the landscape of how people donate money to response & recovery is beginning to change. With a stronger emphasis being placed on accountability, speed, and impact, donors are looking at new ways to ensure their donations go to the people who need it as expeditiously as possible.

This shift towards a higher degree of accountability and results reporting is best illustrated by the authority in non-profit rankings, Charity Navigator. They are introducing additional metrics as part of their ratings to include timely, detailed donor reporting on fund allocation and program impacts. To read more about the evolution of the non-profit rating system and how your charity of choice ranks, their site is a wealth of information.

In response to the donor desire for greater accountability and speed, sites like: indiegogo and gofundme are working to eliminate "the middle man" by empowering donors to give directly to impacted families. While donors feel a more direct connection, the potential for fraud increases significantly due to the fact that anyone can claim to be a survivor and need help.

With the understanding that millions of dollars are flowing into communities following disasters, coupled with the perception that traditional aid is too clunky and bureaucratic, I believe there will be a rapid proliferation of direct giving tools and applications aimed at shifting donations to impacted communities from traditional aid structures.