Natural and man-made disasters result in thousands of deaths and billions of
dollars in damage to housing and infrastructure every year. Despite the American
public’s best intentions, donated goods that are unsolicited or inappropriate
can cause more harm than good. Unnecessary items frequently compete with
essential relief goods for the same limited transportation facilities, and delay
the delivery of requested provisions to those most urgently in need.
By following the guidelines below, requested donations will arrive at the
scene of a disaster in an orderly, timely fashion that enhances, rather than
hinders, the recovery and rebuilding process. Recipient nations receiving
assistance in this way will find it easier to cope with the daunting tasks
facing them.
Public Donation Information
- In the interest of effective coordination of public response, we encourage
concerned citizens to provide monetary donations to appropriate
organizations. To find out about contributions, USAID encourages the public
to access its web site at www.info.usaid.gov
or to contact its Humanitarian Hotline at 1-800-USAID-Relief between the
hours of 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. The public can also directly contact those
private voluntary organizations (PVOs) currently working in the region to
provide monetary donations. Additionally, the public can contact
InterAction, a coalition of voluntary humanitarian and development
organizations that work overseas, via their web site (www.interaction.org).
Those interested in providing specific technical services or commodities
should contact Volunteers in Technical
Assistance's (VITA) Disaster Information Center for information and
guidelines at (703) 276-1914.
Briefly, the main points for international
donations are.
- Monetary Contributions to Established Relief Agencies Are Always the Most Useful Response to Disasters
- Volunteer Opportunities for Disaster Relief Are Extremely Limited
- Never Assume the U.S. Government or Any Relief Agency Will Transport Unsolicited Relief Items Free of Charge
- Confirm there is A Need for All Items Being Collected.
- Donate Only to Organizations Having the Ability to Transport Collected Items to the Affected Region
- Deliver Items Only to Organizations Having Local Distribution Capacity.
- Donated Items Must Be High Quality, Well Packed, and Clearly Labeled
Donations and Volunteer information applicable to most
international situations:
Those interested in providing specific technical relief
services or commodities should contact Volunteers in Technical Assistance's
(VITA) Disaster Information Center for information and guidelines at
703-276-1914. Volunteers in Technical
Assistance also provides online registration of donations and volunteers at:
In the interest of effective coordination of
public response, the public should contact directly those private voluntary
organizations currently working in the region in order to provide monetary
donations or call the U.S.
Agency for International Development Hotline at 1-800-872-4373
between the hours of 9 am and 5 pm EST.
A list of the private
voluntary organizations may also be obtained from our
