Help for Japan

How You Can Help

The Clemson University family is deeply saddened by the tragic loss of life resulting from the 8.9 magnitude earthquake that shook Japan on March 11.

Relief Efforts

• Students, faculty and staff gathered in the Carillon Garden on Thursday, March 31, 8 p.m. to grieve together and remember those who have lost their lives in the earthquake and tsunami.

• Clemson Professor of Architecture Yuji Kishimoto, AIA, will be running the Boston Marathon on April 18 and is using this event as an opportunity to raise money to help his homeland of Japan. He is accepting pledges and donations and will use the funds to purchase Shelter Boxes or other needed items through the American Red Cross. The Clemson Rotary Club will match up to $500 in pledges, and Kishimoto will personally match an additional $500. For more information or to make a donation, contact Yuji Kishimoto, yuji@clemson.edu, 864-656-1496.

• Acts of Campus Kindness is organizing a day-long origami crane folding event on Wednesday, April 6, to raise money for Architecture for Humanity. Students can stop by the Cooper Library and access colored origami paper and crane-folding instructions, fold a crane as a study break, and drop the crane off in a collection box near the exit of the library. Students Rebuild and Dosomething.org have agreed to donate $2 to Architecture for Humanity for each paper crane folded that day. One small act of kindness can go a long way! For more information, email acts@clemson.edu.

• Make a donation through the Clemson University American Red Cross fund by clicking the link to the right. Additional organizations providing relief can be found at charitynavigator.org.

Giving Tips

Giving tips offered by Charity Navigator are to:

• Wait and see: While we all feel an urgent need to help immediately following a massive disaster, some donors may want to wait a few days before donating. By then, charities should have a more clear plan of how they'll provide aid.
• Avoid newly-formed charities and give to an established charity that has worked in Japan: Establishing a new charity is hard enough, but in a crisis, the odds of succeeding are slim to none. Think of it this way: would you entrust all your savings in a financial firm that just opened, doesn't even have stationery, and whose employees have no experience in investing money? Doubtful. Find a charity with a proven track record of success in providing disaster relief on a massive scale and one that has worked in Japan and the other impacted regions. Start with the list of charities offered on charitynavigator.org and if a group you are considering supporting isn't there, then take the time to thoroughly research it before making a gift.
• Designate your investment: Generally, it is best to trust your chosen charity to spend your donation as it sees fit. But with disaster related giving, you should specify that you want your donation only used to respond to this particular crisis.
• Do not send supplies: Knowing that people are desperately in need of food and water, it is hard not to want to pack up a box of supplies and send it to Japan. But this type of philanthropy is simply not practical or efficient. Even if mail could get to an impacted region, no one is set up to receive these goods, much less organize and distribute them to the victims. Furthermore, charities are often able to partner with companies to acquire large amounts of in-kind donations such as bottled water and new clothing. Instead of boxing up and sending your old clothing, have a garage sale and turn your used goods into cash and donate that to a worthy charity.
• Be careful of email solicitations:
  
  • Be leery of people that contact you online claiming to be a victim: Unless you personally know someone in Japan, anyone alleging to be in this position is most likely part of a scam. Obviously, people affected by the earthquake and tsunami are in no position to contact you directly for assistance.
  • Delete unsolicited emails with attachments: Never respond to unsolicited emails. Do not open any attachments to these emails even if they claim to contain pictures from Japan. These attachments are probably viruses.
• Seek out the charity's authorized website: Criminals are likely to set up bogus sites to steal the identity and money of generous and unsuspecting individuals. We saw this after Hurricane Katrina when the FBI reported that 4,000 sites were created to do just that. So, if you plan to give online, be sure to find the charity's legitimate site. You can safely give on Charity Navigator's site via our partnership with Network for Good. Alternatively, we link to each charity's authorized site so you can give there if you prefer.
• Think before you text: So long as you do your homework- meaning that you've vetted the charity and made sure you are using the proper texting instructions- then texting can be a great way to give. Remember there may be additional costs to you to make such a gift. And it can take as much as 90 days for the charity to receive the funds.
• Consider the nature of the charity's work: Not every charity is responding in the same way. Some are providing medical assistance, some shelter, some food and water. Others will be more focused on either short term or long term rebuilding efforts. And some are just helping to fundraise for other nonprofits. Think about what it is you want your philanthropic investment to accomplish and then take the time to find the charities doing that work. Charity Navigator links to each charity's website so that you can quickly learn more about their plans to help.
• Be inspired by social media, but still do your homework: Social networking tools like Twitter and Facebook, YouTube and blogs are delivering heart-wrenching images and information about the earthquake and tsunami to our computers and phones. Many of them include pleas to donate. While these tools can be a powerful tool to inspire your desire to help, you should not blindly give via these vehicles. You must take the time to investigate the groups behind such please for help to ensure that it comes from a legitimate nonprofit.
• Avoid telemarketers: As always, hang up the phone, do your homework and give directly to a charity.
• Do not expect immediate results, but do keep tabs on what your donation accomplishes: It takes time for charities to mobilize, to assess the problems that need to be addressed and to develop effective solutions. Donors need to be patient so charities will not feel pressured to plunge in and offer ineffective aid, simply to placate impatient donors. That doesn't mean donors shouldn't hold the charities accountable for delivering on their promises! Be sure to follow up with the charity in a few months to find out (a) how your donation was put to use and (b) if the organization needs additional support to complete the recovery effort.