WhatGives!? Do Something Good…

Not to be flippant, but WhatGives!? with the earthquake in Chile?  With a magnitude of 8.8, it was 500 times more powerful than the one in Haiti.  Buildings fell, people died, water and utilities were cut off… but checking #chile on Twitter results in mainly Spanish language conversations.  Unlike the tiny island nation of Haiti that gathered worldwide support, the country on the western edge of South America has seemingly already been “handled.”  Outside of Latin America, there seems to be no call to arms or marshaling of resources to go to the aid of those who suffered last Saturday.  Our question today is, “Why?”

That question is thoughtfully considered in today’s Huffington Post.  The short answer is that Chile was simply better prepared on every level.  Whereas most Haitians had no idea if their president had survived their 7.0 shaker, Chile’s president was giving live televised updates of the crisis within hours.  Included in those updates was a clear message that Chile was not requesting outside government aid until their situation was evaluated and specific needs analyzed.  And while the United Nations, international relief agencies, and the heads of many governments responded quickly to say they’d be there in a New York minute if needed, you could almost feel the world breathe out a sigh of relief.

After all, it’s been a tough year… already.  Mother Nature seems to be taking no prisoners  in 2010.  Chile, Haiti, Japan’s earthquake on Saturday, a series of avalanches in Afghanistan, the relentless back-to-back storms on the east coast, heck, there was even a 4.0 earthquake in Oklahoma in January, for Pete’s sake.  It’s become an almost constant state of alert to the point that upon learning the death toll is “only” 100 people, we move on.

It’s a problem that nonprofits face every day.  How do you keep supporters involved and enthusiastic when the cause  (poverty, cancer, homelessness, clean water) can seem insurmountable at times?  Even the most ardent leader of an organization must have days when he or she wakes up frustrated that they have to ask – again – for money, resources, or volunteers.  Even the most devoted advocates for a cause have moments when being asked – again – to dig deep causes them to think, “I just can’t.”

It’s basic charity fatigue.  And this new-fangled interweb cybertube thing isn’t helping.  It used to be lots of direct mail requests, some mid-dinner phone calls, and an occasional telethon.  Now, it’s a non-stop, 24/7 around-the-world ask.  Television programs weave stories about social issues into their plot lines, raising much needed awareness – sometimes with compelling subtlety, sometimes with a large hammer.  Social media for social good campaigns (Hi, boss!) are taking hold with multi-national corporations like Coke and Pepsi.  The ask is spreading into every form of information and entertainment.  Some will tell you that it’s more personal now, and that their supporter base is more engaged and more passionate than ever.  Others are sure it’s overwhelming the average Joe.

There is suffering in every country of the world.  There are hungry children by the millions.  People die from simple, treatable medical problems every hour.  There is so much to be done.  How do you choose where you spend your time, energy, and money?  Do you follow your heart or try to be practical?

We would like to hear from you about all of this…

At what point – if ever – do you feel you’ve done enough?