On Saturday, April 25th, a massive, magnitude-7.8 earthquake hit Nepal, killing over 3,600 people and injuring more than 6,500. One senior official of the district in the earthquake’s epicenter heard reports that over 70% of houses there had been destroyed. Aftershocks on Sunday were felt in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh. While reports are still coming out about the extent of the damage, communities have banded together to help their neighbors by setting up communal kitchens and shelters. The US will pledge $1m to the aid effort and will also assist with a disaster response team. Australia has also pledged an Aus $5m aid package, the UK has pledged to donate £5m, while India, Sri Lanka, the UK, China and others are all sending disaster response teams to assist in search and rescue.

What can we do?

In addition to the pledges for funding and support by local communities and international government agencies, many non-profit organizations are soliciting donations for relief efforts in Nepal. Below are our top recommendations; for a more complete list, click here.

Help Nepal with Pace Student Prassoon Dhungana

Prassoon Dhungana is an international student from Nepal, currently studying at Pace University. He has set up a fundraiser for his fellow Pace community to donate directly to GlobalGiving’s fund for earthquake relief in Nepal (more information about GlobalGiving is available below). Click here to donate via Prassoon’s fundraising page!

U.S. Fund for UNICEF (4*)

Mission: UNICEF works for children in more than 190 countries and territories. Every child, no matter where they live, deserves a safe and healthy childhood. The U.S. Fund for UNICEF raises funds for UNICEF’s work on child survival, child development, child protection and emergencies.

What your donation will do: Nearly 1 million children require humanitarian assistance, and UNICEF is on the ground working to provide critical aid to children and families.

GlobalGiving (4*)

Mission: Founded in 2003, GlobalGiving works to build an efficient, open, thriving marketplace that connects people who have community and world-changing ideas with people who can support them. Our vision is to unleash the potential of people around the world to make positive change happen.

What your donation will do: All donations to this fund will support earthquake recovery and relief efforts in Nepal. Initially, the fund will help first responders meet survivors’ immediate needs for food, fuel, clean water, hygiene products, and shelter. Once initial relief work is complete, this fund will transition to support longer-term recovery efforts run by local, vetted local organizations.

Save the Children (4*)

Mission: Save the Children invests in childhood – every day, in times of crisis and for our future. In the United States and around the world, we are dedicated to ensuring every child has the best chance for success. Our pioneering programs give children a healthy start, the opportunity to learn and protection from harm.

What your donation will do: Your support will help Save the Children protect vulnerable children and provide desperately needed relief to families. Ten percent of your contribution will be used to help us prepare for the next emergency.

AmeriCares (4*)

Mission: In times of epic disaster, daily struggle or civil conflict, AmeriCares restores health and saves lives by delivering medicines, medical supplies and humanitarian aid to people in need around the world and across the United States.

What your donation will do: Your tax-deductible gift to the Nepal Relief Fund will help ensure AmeriCares has the resources required to respond effectively and quickly to the earthquake in Nepal with medicines, medical supplies and other humanitarian aid for these families in crisis, and continue to help survivors rebuild their lives.

Direct Relief (4*)

Mission: Direct Relief is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that provides medical assistance to people around the world who have been affected by poverty, natural disasters, and civil unrest.

What your donation will do: 100% of your donation will go toward immediate deployment of emergency medical response personnel and essential health commodities.

What to consider before donating:

• Donate money, not goods. While many well-meaning people want to donate material goods, this is often not practical. In times of crisis, individuals and organizations may lack the infrastructure to handle material donations on time. Organizations on the ground can use your money to buy the things most needed and distribute them.
• Make sure the organization you choose is well-established and has a history of doing similar work around the world. A great way to ensure that your money is going where you want it to is to check Charity Navigator, an independent organization that evaluates the financial health, accountability, and transparency of charity organizations. We’ve listed and linked to the ranking information pages for each of the organizations we’ve recommended above.
• When donating, be sure you are on a page that designates donations toward relief in Nepal, or ensure you are able to choose this particular cause as an option. Generally, without selecting a specific cause, organizations will use donated funds where they believe they are most needed.
• Be wary of telemarketers, emails, or text-message based donations – especially if you aren’t confident about the organization you’re receiving messages from.
• When you donate, sign up for a newsletter from the organization and be sure to keep tabs on what they are doing for earthquake relief in Nepal.
• For more tips and considerations on giving during times of crisis, click here.