Disaster Relief Philanthropy in Guatemala Volcano Crisis

On June 3rd, Guatemala witnessed the worst eruption from Fuego (“fire”) volcano ever recorded. 70 fatalities have been recorded[1] and 192 are missing[2]. These numbers are sure to increase over the coming days.

Pionero Philanthropy’s base is in Antigua, approximately 9 miles from Fuego and we have seen a large variety of Philanthropic efforts taking place on a local, national and international scale.

When searching for “Guatemala Volcano” on www.gofundme.com, a staggering 545 campaigns appear. One page has raised over $70,000 and the majority, at least a few thousand dollars. Some of these pages are raising funds that will be transferred to reputable non-profit organizations (NPOs), whilst others are using the money to buy supplies such as medicines, food and clothing to carry out their own efforts.

Other actors include local and national companies, from cafes and hotels to nationwide Pharmacies and chains setting up Donation drop off points whose items are distributed through intermediary NPOs.

Local NPOs, including those whose expertise isn’t in disaster response, are utilizing their local networks to coordinate the distribution of materials and their broader network and donor bases abroad for monetary support through Social Media channels.

Given that Pionero’s mission is to connect donors to outstanding causes and that we are here on the ground, we felt it necessary to provide some reflections and pointers on what we believe every donor needs to keep in mind in order to best support Guatemala at this tragic time.

1. Material or Monetary donations?

This depends on where you are located. If located abroad, then money is indisputably the best method of supporting aid efforts.

There is no point sending, shipping or travelling to Guatemala.

There is no postal system, private couriers are expensive, and carry on luggage and plane tickets are an inefficient use of funds. Your money goes further by donating to a reputable and effective NPO who can source products at the best price in-country. Furthermore, the flow of money supports the local economy rather than adding to international couriers and airlines’ bottom lines. If you are a local resident of the area affected, material items, so long as they are relevant and given to a responsible NPO is another possible option.

3. Donate to Natural Disaster NPOs or trusted NPOs you have confidence in

Although the country hasn’t experienced such an event with this volcano for over a century, you ideally want to donate to organizations that already have experience and processes in place for effectively distributing the resources. In times of crisis when the situation is constantly changing, you want to trust organizations that have tried and tested processes in place and networks with important actors such as government agencies so that distribution of resources can reach those most in need in the shortest time.

4. Think about HOW you want to help – long term or short term?

Sure, everyone’s knee-jerk reaction is to donate items for immediate relief, but what happens once the media circus leaves town? Think about whether you want your funds to be used for the short term or the long term. For example, once communities move out of temporary refuges, they will need help with housing, roads and ongoing health care. It doesn’t matter within which area you want to help, but at least bear in mind that natural disasters, although quick to take place, take years, if not decades to recover from.