What can we do as a community to help Tsunami victims?

[**niko***]

I'm sure you are all as shocked as I by recent events in Asia. As of the 6 o'clock news today, Canadians have donated $3million to the Red Cross to help victims of Sundays tsunami. The Red Cross is now encouraging community groups to raise $$ for the ongoing relief effort.

What can we do as a Canadian business community to help? Some have already tried listing some auctions as fundraisers, only to have them pulled for not meeting Ebay's rules on these issues. Links to Red Cross, one would assume, are also verboten. So what can we do? Any suggestions?

[**niko***]

You can read more about thwarted efforts and Ebay regulations here

http://forums.ebay.ca/thread.jsp?forum=7&thread=100015853&modified=1104370470737

[javax.swing]

Have eBay donate some of the money it's sitting on in Switzerland. Or stop giving US PowerSellers trinkets and trash and instead use that money to send useful items to the victims in Asia.

[**niko***]

Ebay and Paypal are both giving cash donations.

[acurael]

Anyone remember the $100 million ebay deal for 9/11. Meg took the credit, but individual sellers were left to pony up. Sellers were asked to donate the item and as I recall ebay would waive the fees, but you had to pay with Billpoint. They took a bunch of flack because it looked like they were trying to popularize billpoint and take credit for the donations of the members.

I don't recall if they hit the target?

9/11 was what? 3 or 4 thousand people. Last count in Asia is 150 thousand? *sigh*

[lynxamania]

I was wondering what you though of this old report:

http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/11/06/rec.charity.hearing/?related

Here is a quote from it:

"...The Red Cross has raised more than $564 million for the Liberty Fund, which was set up in response to the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

While the agency states on its Web site that it is spending more than any other relief agency responding to the terrorist attacks, it has distributed only $154 million..."

Less then half of it was spent... where did the rest of the money go?

As much as we should be helping the Tsunami Victims we might want to be cautious to where we donate, not trying to discourage or offend anyone, but for example missionfish.org regardless of fees, does have many smaller organizations or in general, donation to smaller organizations like the ones that were mentioned in this thread might be more suitable and trustworthy.

You decide 🙂

[scouttech-outfitters]

Why not create some kind of powersellers charity account and donate proceeds direct to a foreign agency or government?

[**niko***]

Personally, I am donating $1 from each sale to the Red Cross through Paypal. I worry about how the money is spent too, but Red Cross has promised to segregate the funds and apply money raised in this appeal directly to the campaign.