Three days after the devastating earthquakes in the Turkish-Syrian border region, hopes of finding more survivors are fading. The death toll continues to rise. The authorities are now assuming that more than 20,000 people have died, including more than 17,000 in Turkey alone. More than 63,000 people were injured there and almost 6,500 houses were destroyed. The Turkish ambassador Ahmet Başar Şen asked for further help from Germany in the ZDF “Morgenmagazin” on Wednesday: “We need monetary donations and we need donations in kind.”
Many want to help. This ensures that the donations get to where they are needed:
What helps more now: monetary donations or donations in kind?
Even if the private collection of warm clothing, blankets and sleeping bags is well intentioned: Uncoordinated aid deliveries burden or even block the logistics structures of the helpers in the disaster area. The German Central Institute for Social Issues (DZI) recommends that monetary donations can generally be used more flexibly by local aid organizations than donations in kind. Many products are cheaper if they are bought locally – the financial support also strengthens the economy of the affected region. In addition, there is no need to transport the goods to the disaster areas, where roads, bridges or railway tracks are often destroyed. An exception: when reputable organizations such as the clothing store explicitly ask for donations in kind.
What do you have to consider when donating?
The first and most important rule is not to make a hasty donation based on an emotional impulse. Especially in social networks, people are asked to transfer money with particularly moving photos. There may also be initiatives behind this that want to take advantage of the willingness to donate in the event of a disaster. So that the money actually arrives, you should try to check the organization a bit.
How do you find out if an organization is legitimate?
Aid organizations from the local area are always a good point of contact. You know those responsible, you can talk to them about how they use the donations, and you get a transparent insight into their work. Aid organizations that carry the DZI seal of approval are also reliable. The foundation has strict evaluation criteria and also warns against initiatives that are not worthy of funding.
What are the criteria for a trustworthy organization?
In the case of non-profit organizations that are more than three years old, you can be sure that the tax office will regularly check this organization. A look at the organization’s website shows whether it provides information about its work, who to contact to answer questions, and whether the advertising is factual and informative. The more transparency an organization offers, for example by also making financial or activity reports public, the more trustworthy it is.
When should you be suspicious?
When addressing pity or pressure with provocative, cruel images, one should be careful, as serious organizations do not work that way. One should also be suspicious when aid organizations promise that one hundred percent of the donations will reach those in need: Because there is always a certain amount of administrative work involved. Organizations that are reputable also demonstrate this transparently.
How useful are earmarked donations?
A current crisis situation is often the motivation for a earmarked donation. But if you then enter the following on the transfer: “Keyword: earthquakes in Turkey and Syria”, this also limits the scope of aid organizations – they are usually involved in several disaster areas at the same time. In addition, earmarked donations generate additional administration and advertising costs. “Open” financial support is often more effective. Those who then concentrate on financially supporting one or two organizations instead of many, also reduce the administrative workload of the aid organizations.
Here is a selection of organizations that the DZI classifies as reputable; the complete list can be found on the DZI website:
Doctors Without Borders e. V. – Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), German Section, www.aerzte-ohne-grenzen.de, Bank for Social Economy, Iban: DE72 3702 0500 0009 7097 00
Action Deutschland Hilft e. v, www.aktion-deutschland-hilft.de, Bank for Social Economy, Iban: DE62 3702 0500 0000 1020 30, keyword: Earthquake Turkey and Syria
German Red Cross e. v, www.drk.de, Bank für Sozialwirtschaft, Iban: DE63 3702 0500 0005 0233 07, keyword: emergency aid for earthquakes in Turkey and Syria
UN Refugee Aid e. v, www.uno-fluechtlingshilfe.de, Sparkasse Köln-Bonn, Iban: DE78 3705 0198 0020 0088 50, keyword: earthquake