How to Give Responsibly to Disaster Relief

How to Give Responsibly to Disaster Relief and Humanitarian Aid

by Jeremie Jean-Baptiste
Published January 28, 2024

Disaster relief often garners global attention, but donations meant to help can sometimes unintentionally cause harm. Haiti serves as a prime example, as seen in To Rebuild Haiti After This Earthquake, We Must Empower Haitians from Inside Philanthropy, and How to Escape the Cycle of Mismanaged Aid in Haiti from The New York Times. To avoid repeating the same mistakes, donors must move beyond short-term solutions and focus on long-term, community-led efforts that empower local organizations.

Why Disaster Relief and Development Are Different

Disaster relief focuses on immediate needs like food, shelter, and medical care, often requiring rapid deployment of resources. This urgency can lead to quick fixes that bypass local systems or create dependency. On the other hand, development aid targets sustainable growth, building institutions, infrastructure, and community capacity over time. The challenge lies in balancing the urgency of relief with the need for resilience and long-term recovery.

Unfortunately, disaster aid often floods into a region with little regard for existing local systems. Foreign-led interventions may unintentionally weaken local capacity by sidelining local organizations and imposing external priorities. When aid dries up, communities are left without the tools to sustain progress.

Key Strategies for Responsible Giving:

1. Trusting Local Leadership

Local organizations have the best understanding of their community’s needs and are often the first to respond. In Haiti, for example, grassroots groups play a vital role in providing essential services long after international aid has faded. Funding these organizations ensures resources reach those who need them most.

At Roots of Development, we’ve seen that supporting local leadership strengthens self-sufficiency and makes projects more sustainable. As a donor, look for organizations that support local leadership, rather than bringing in their own. 

2. Providing Flexible Funding

Donors often want to see their money tied to specific projects, but this can limit how local organizations address urgent or evolving needs. Flexible, unrestricted funding gives these groups the ability to adapt and prioritize based on real-time conditions.

Roots of Development has found that investing in capacity-building—helping communities manage their own projects—creates lasting change. It also builds trust between donors and recipients, fostering stronger partnerships.

As a donor, consider not giving to disaster- or project-specific funds. When disaster strikes, supplement your unrestricted giving to organizations you already trust.

3. Prioritizing Equitable Partnerships

True partnerships mean listening to and respecting local voices. Imposing external agendas can disrupt local priorities and weaken trust. Effective collaboration requires mutual respect, shared decision-making, and accountability.

For example, as Inside Philanthropy highlights, sidelining local leaders can lead to ineffective aid. At Roots, we’ve learned that honoring community expertise results in solutions that reflect their true needs and aspirations.

As a donor, look for organizations that work to build long-term partnerships, treat their partners with respect, and let their partners lead the way, rather than imposing their own agendas.

4. Avoiding Common Pitfalls

Haiti’s experience with aid underscores how well-meaning foreign interventions can undermine local institutions. Over-reliance on outside organizations often creates dependency rather than resilience.

Strengthening local groups’ capacity builds confidence and independence, enabling them to manage future challenges without external reliance. As a donor, give to organizations that do more than provide short-term financial support to local groups, but instead look to strengthen local self-sufficiency in the long-term. 

Why Responsible Giving Matters

Shifting power to local communities ensures aid is more effective and ethical. When donors support grassroots organizations, provide flexible funding, and commit to long-term partnerships, they help build resilience and reduce dependency.

By focusing on these principles, Roots of Development serves as a model for how humanitarian aid can lead to sustainable, community-driven outcomes.

Sources

  • Montas, M. (2021, August 21). How to Escape the Cycle of Mismanaged Aid in Haiti. The New York Times.
  • Noel, P., & Ansara, K. (2021, September 2). To Rebuild Haiti After This Earthquake, We Must Empower Haitians. Inside Philanthropy.
  • Roots of Development. (2023). The History of Roots of Development.
  • Bissonnette, C., & Robillard, L. (n.d.). From Roots to Rasin: The Story of Transition and Transformation in Haiti.
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