Danger and opportunity for disaster donors and beneficiaries

The Chinese write the word “crisis” with two characters.  One means danger, and the other means opportunity. In disaster, there is great opportunity to create New Realities (but not without paying attention to some danger signs). Here are a few huge, red, neon-flashing-light disaster danger signs just begging for New Realities:

From the beneficiaries:

If I have to fill out one more form or answer one more question, I’ll scream (or worse)!

Share information so I don’t have to give the same information over and over again ad nauseam. I have one name. Let me give it to you once, and then you share it with the multiple agencies that are supposed to be helping me.

From the donors:

Just what are you doing with my money exactly?  Why do some disasters or areas get flooded with donations and others get no help?

Have a central donation point, an effective distribution process, and a transparent, inter-active donor reporting system.

From the NGO’s:

Get out of my way and let me do my job!

Link into that connective tissue and become part of the solution rather than a part of the problem.