Who can be trusted in the big business of charity?

I recently started researching how Haiti was helped after the devastating 2010 earthquake. I wanted to be assured I had as many facts as possible before I made a public statement.

What I have found out shocked and surprised me. People of the world opened their pocketbooks and hearts, believing they would be providing medical care, food, clothing and safe new homes for the homeless in Haiti. It appears that has not been the result of over $2 billion in charitable giving.

First, a few facts:

Haiti population: 9,719,932 (2010)
Republican government.
Chief of state: President Rene PREVAL (since 14 May 2006) - supposed to be elected for 4 years only, he is acting as interim president now.
Head of government: (appointed by President) Prime Minister Jean-Max BELLERIVE (since 7 November 2009)
- All cabinet members appointed by Preval.
The unemployment rate in Haiti is around 70-80%.


Haiti 2010 earthquake background:

• January 12, 2010


• 7.0 earthquate and 52 aftershocks


• killed: 92,000-316,000 (higher report is per Haitian gov't), 250,ooo per another source.


• injured: 300,000


• homeless: 1-1.8 million


• commercial buildings: 30,000


• Other buildings/homes: 250,000

References:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Haiti_earthquake

http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=1186


Donations collected & spent:

• Overall collected: $1,400,000,000 from AMERICANS. Yes, 1.4 billion. Spent: Just over 1/3. Another figure states 2.1 billion has been collected (world-wide).
• Red Cross: collected: $479, 000,000 (per RC), spent: $245,000,000 [investigator could not determine what $ was spent on, see video link below]
• The World Bank says that Haiti has more aid groups per capita than any nation, perhaps as many as 10,000.
• About 40 countries (including the U.S.) and international institutions have pledged $5.27 billion, over the next 2 years, for Haiti's reconstruction.
• Haiti says it will take $12 billion to rebuild their country
  

What has been built in Haiti:

• 300 homes per one investigation


• tent/tarp compounds


• According to a report by the charity Oxfam, nearly 1 million people are still displaced one year after the earthquake. Only 15% of the temporary housing has been built, less than 5% of the 20 million cubic meters of rubble has been cleared and few permanent water and sanitation facilities have been built.
  

Investigations/videos done to date (sample):

Negative:

Investigation: Red Cross funds - Where did they go (lots of videos on youtube): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=trSfACmrc_E&feature=player_embedded

http://articlesreloaded.com/news-and-society/causes-organizations/haiti-one-year-later-%E2%80%93-where-did-all-the-donations-go/

Where did the money go? (Charity Navigator): http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=1194

Positive:
Red Cross Haiti site: http://www.redcross.org/haiti

General Resources - (More research needed)

WORLD FACTS (Haiti):

https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/ha.html

Conclusion:

Bruce probably said it best this morning, when a lot of money is given, corruption ensues.

My cousin John and his wife Karen are involved in a Honduras relief effort through his church. Every year they go with a group of Doctors, nurses, dentists and many various people with other skills to the Honduras and provide free medical, dental, eye glasses and help build/improve a community. They see where their money is going. They physically do the work to help the community.

While I believe there are good intentioned people in many of these organizations, and it is very possible their hands were tied by a corrupt Haitian goverment, I am now questioning funneling our donations through "centralized huge charities" vs. smaller organizations with transparent finances and dedicated people providing "hands on" support for the needy that can be seen and measured. One suggestion was made that an island could have been purchased and 500,000 people could have been relocated and set up financially (businesses, etc.) for only a part of the money collected to date.

I am saddened that this time I have not sent $ to the Red Cross for Japan. I want to help, but the trust has been broken. I am now questioning: who can be trusted in the big business of charity? Maybe it is ok to send to Japan, they do not have the corrupt government Haiti has that taxes charitable giving so terribly that brand new donated pickups sit in weeds at the airport because charities cannot afford to pay the "extortion fees" (my title).

A reource site: http://www.charitynavigator.org/ may help "somewhat". Charity Navigator, America's premier independent charity evaluator, works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the financial health of over 5,500 of America's largest charities. I checked it out briefly. It has interesting info, but I am concerned they would have a hard time battling "the big business of charity" and stay in business themselves.

Seven questions to ask charities before donating: http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=1209

Other Haitian news:

The elections is a mess; Baby Doc returning - wasn't he called/proven a cannibal [really!] when he was in office?? he was exiled for 25 years. President Preval just froze his bank accounts.) http://www.thecuttingedgenews.com/index.php?article=31987.

Oh, and what about the millions that american singer raised (Wyclef Jean) and said he was going to run for president of Haiti (he couldn't even speak French or creole, per what I read. Even his best friend was on Gayle King one night and said he just could not support him!)

A person can get all wound up looking into politics, world affairs and especially when peering into THE COOKIE JAR.

I hate to be negative, as I have always respected the Red Cross. I want to be proven totally, entirely wrong...and that these videos and statistics are biased.

What I do think is The RC and others do some good work, but not as much as should be done. Unfortunately, they cannot topple a regime. The Haitian government may be more to blame for the current plight of their people and country. HOW CAN THEY (Haitan politicians) EXIST with only 30% of the people working? They must be using monies from the outside to subsidize their personal lives. That's the only conculsion I can come to.