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June 6^th 2016 was the 3^rd year anniversary of the Lac Megantic train derailment. This tragedy killed 47 Canadians, left 32 children without a parent(s), led to the evacuation of 3,235 residents, and annihilated the downtown core of a charming Quebec town. Three years later, legal wranglings hold up the financial settlement for Lac Megantic residents.
In the wake of the Lac Megantic disaster, Canadians donated $14.5 million to Canadian Red Cross’s disaster relief efforts for Lac Megantic. With interest earned on unspent funds, this amount has increased to $14.8 million.
Canadian Red Cross released its 3-Year Update for donors outlining its work. For Year 3, Canadian Red Cross reports spending $554,500 on Lac Megantic’s recovery – 4% of donations. This leaves $2.270 million for future work or 15% of donations to be spent in the future.
Canadian Red Cross Spending Priorities in Year 3:

• $180,000 for Lac Megantic health care projects in collaboration with Le Granite Centre de Sante, including an arts program for seniors.
• $172,000 in economic recovery aid on 10 local projects.
• $90,000 in grants to four local charities – average grant size $22,500.
• $40,000 for one education project supporting 30 students.

At the current rate of Canadian Red Cross spending, it will continue operations in Lac Megantic through 2020.
To download Charity Intelligence’s images/Lac-Megantic-3-Year-Update.pdf” rel=”alternate Lac Megantic 3-Year Update brief

To read the full report on Charity Intelligence’s 2015 results: images/Fort-McMurray-Fires—Disaster-Response-Update-June-30-2016.pdf” rel=”alternate Fort McMurray Fire – 2 month update

“I decided to devote my life to telling the story because I felt that, having survived, I owe something to the dead. And anyone who does not remember betrays them again.”

 
Elie Wiesel author, journalist, Nobel Winner for literature and campaigner for human rights died July 2, 2016. As a 15 year old boy Elie Wiesel was in Nazi concentration camps.  Wiesel helped found the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington DC in 1980. Here in Canada the Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre captures the ephemeral stories of the Holocaust to teach today’s generation humanitarian rights.
https://www.charityintelligence.ca/charity-details/653-montreal-holocaust-memorial-centre” rel=”alternate Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre is a 4-star charity with the largest collection of artifacts and archives of Canadian Holocaust survivors.
Charity Intelligence’s independent analysis of Montreal Holocaust Memorial Centre was generously funded by the Murray and Muriel Steinberg Family Foundation.

Step 1: It’s really boring but basic – have a budget.  
How much are you giving to charity each year? Add up what you gave last year. You will likely find that you are far more generous than you imagined.
Step 2: Which charities are you going to give to?
Make a list of the charities you gave to last year. Now look at your list. How many of these charities are national charities, how many are local frontline charities – your food bank, your church, your boys and girls club, your seniors’ services? How many are international charities?
Are you giving to what you really care about? Now take a second hard look at your list of charities. Do the charities you give to match your passions? Too often, we give to charities simply because they ask us for money, not because these are the causes that matter deeply to us. Our giving is passive. We give to those who ask and fundraise. We can change this by being more active in our giving.
Edit your list – be a discerning donor. When you scratch off some charities this makes room to give more to other charities. There isn’t a right number of charities. Some Canadians have more than 15 charities on their list they give to each year. On average, Canadians give to seven charities each year. Rather than the number of charities, it is the quality of the charities you support.
Step 3: Do your research. Use Charity Intelligence’s free research reports on Canadian charities – Charity Intelligence has reports on all the big charities, those that pay for the expensive mailings. http://www.charityintelligence.ca www.charityintelligence.ca use the A-Z Index to see all the charity reports, or use the search box for keyword searches like “your town”, “province”, “food banks”.
Give yourself the time to give intelligently. Be informed and get the facts on a charity before you give.
 
In the News: CBC News article http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/donor-fatigue-asking-too-much-says-charity-intelligence-canada-1.3791617″ rel=”alternate Donors don’t like charity [swag] but it works
This article was prepared for CBC Radio Blue Sky call-in show, October 2016
 
Sources:
1. Give to Get marketing and fundraising strategy Robert B. Cialdini’s book Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion – How to trigger the “Yes” response, 1984
2. Eden Stiffman, ” https://www.philanthropy.com/article/1-in-3-Rich-Donors-Held-Their/237624 1 in 3 Rich Donors Held Their Philanthropy Back” The Chronicle of Philanthropy, August 30, 2016 article reporting on the Cygnus Applied Research, 2016 Donor Behaviour Report on US donors “Asked what it would take to persuade them to give more than planned, [US donors said] charities could explain that they face extraordinary needs, reduce their overhead expenses, stop sending unwanted gifts or trinkets in direct-mail appeals, and reduce the volume of solicitations”. 
3. ibid: “Direct mail remains the most common way donors give but it is declining: 44% of donors gave in response to direct mail in 2015, down from 48% in 2010.”

November 3, 2016
Revised November 4, 2016
Canadian Red Cross today released its 6 month donor report on Fort McMurray recovery efforts. Here’s a quick run through of new developments in the 3 months from August-October 2016:
$20 million in donations from Canadians came in, bringing the total raised to $319 million.
Nearly 60% spent in 6 months: To date, Canadian Red Cross has spent an estimated $189 million. Canadian Red Cross reports spending $178 million Read More