By Joy Steward
A recent article I read debated the topic of philanthropy vs. charity. They defined charity as short-term relief to help reduce suffering and misfortune, philanthropy as a long-term strategic investment to eliminate the root causes of suffering and misfortune. Think of the fish parable. Give a man a fish, feed him for today. Teach a man to fish, feed him for a lifetime. Charity is for today; philanthropy is forever. They stem from the same impulse to help and I know we need both. While philanthropy works strategically, we also need to be able to provide short-term relief. In times of national or natural disaster the need for immediate action comes to the forefront, like the current devastation in Haiti. In a recent address Steve Gunderson, President/CEO of the Council on Foundations-think philanthropy, had this to say, “We can and should do our part in addressing the immediate rescue and relief aspects of this global disaster. Then, we can and will consider how philanthropy engages in rebuilding and reconstruction, over time.”
As an individual I am compelled to want to reach out to those suffering in Haiti, but as the director of the Homer Foundation Mr. Gunderson’s words made me consider how a small community foundation, whose mission is building philanthropic assets for the benefit of the people of Homer and surrounding areas, should respond to a natural disaster halfway around the world? Being a conduit for information seems an appropriate response. I would direct anyone interested in providing financial support to the Haiti disaster, in any amount, to authenticate the recipient organization to make sure your gift has its intended impact. The Council on Foundations has developed a website and is doing their best to monitor and share information on the immediate needs in Haiti and organizations mobilizing resources in the country, http://www.cof.org/disasterresponse. To facilitate the relief efforts, Mr. Gunderson has sent the IRS Commissioner a letter asking him to declare the earthquake in Haiti a “qualified disaster.” Doing so will allow private foundations and employee-connected funds at public charities to continue to respond to immediate needs. The US Legislature is also acting to pass legislation to boost charitable donations to Haiti by suspending caps on charitable giving for individuals and corporations as they did during Hurricane Katrina. The bill would allow people to deduct as much as they give, and would also let companies deduct the market-rate costs of food donations instead of just the cost to produce the food.
Disasters like the earthquake in Haiti remind us how critical preparedness and planning can be for every individual, organization, and community. This is especially true for those of us living in earthquake and tsunami prone Alaska. Let’s make sure that each one of us has a disaster preparedness plan for our families and ourselves, and the organizations for which we work. Let’s make sure that we are knowledgeable of the preparedness plans developed by our city and borough. Access the Borough website for information on disaster preparedness at www.borough.kenai.ak.us/emergency/. And then it might be time to think about how we could convert our charitable impulses to developing long-term philanthropic resources in the event of a local disaster in the future.
Joy Steward is the executive director of the Homer Foundation, Homer’s nonprofit community foundation, which encourages philanthropic giving, manages philanthropic assets, and supports charitable activities on the lower Kenai Peninsula.
This article published in the Homer News. Thursday, January 28, 2010, part of a year-long series of articles on philanthropy generated by volunteers for the Homer Foundation.