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Signs of the Times
Emergency Generosity In a time of disaster, charitable giving moves as fast as the news cycle. By Tyra Novic Wahman | Photograph by John Linn
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he images flood our television screens, websites and newspapers: displaced families canoeing down flooded suburban streets; schools reduced to rubble by torCRUCIAL CONNECTIONS: Diane Leaders’ contacts from being the family nadoes and hurricanes; lines of traumatized children waitservices director for the Otter-Tail Wadena Community Action Council ing to be fed at emergency shelters. allowed her to solicit immediate help for Wadena residents. The viewer wants to help. Fortunately, the news media also understand that these scenes inspire us to take action. That’s why phone numbers, websites and texting instructions scroll across the communities are struggling to feed and house their residents. And screen and are given prominent placement in articles. Within most small towns aren’t set up for the instant gratification that donors moments, generous people and businesses can make charitable gifts expect today. Many, according to Kilian, often rely on a local bank to that provide immediate relief. It’s the power of the digital age that step forward and manage funds for relief efforts. Unfortunately, that broadens the borders of a caring community. approach requires people to write a “We feel we're every bit the first check, address an envelope, lick a stamp responders as EMTs or police,” said and find a mailbox. John Bodette, the executive editor of the When disaster strikes, many That’s often too labor-intensive for St. Cloud Times. “But instead of loading government officials don’t a society that’s grown accustomed to people into ambulances or running into making major purchases—not to menburning buildings, our job is to provide immediately know how to set tion texting a $10 gift to Haiti—without people with information they need to up a charitable relief fund. leaving their easy-chairs. cope or to help.” To help the Wadena community, When a disaster strikes, many govthe Initiative Foundation teamed up ernment officials don’t immediately with GiveMN.org, a nonprofit giving portal for Minnesota charities, think about or know how to establish a charitable relief fund to help to establish a tornado relief fund and provide donors with an opporlocal victims. Facilitating donations should be among their top priortunity to make donations right away. The collaboration also allowed ities, according to Matt Kilian, Initiative Foundation vice president for the Initiative Foundation to conduct a matching program with external relations, “Natural disasters are not local tragedies anymore,” Minnesota Power and the West Central Initiative. It took just three he said. “They are state and national tragedies. People from thousands days for the first $17,000 in contributions to be matched dollar for of miles away, some who have local ties and some who don’t, are dollar by the three partners. inspired to help in that golden moment. If sending that donation isn’t “In total, we helped the community raise about $340,000 for toreasy, the motivation to give quickly fades into a good intention.” nado relief, and later, for tree replanting,” said Kilian. “We didn’t Making effective fundraising a priority can be a challenge when
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