Japan is there some fund you can contribute to?

[ZZZenAgain]

Hi does anyone know of a fund to help the people in Japan after the quake/tsunami - or some way of showing support to them?

I am overseas but I would like to try and do something.

How about Origami4Tsunami?

Might be a way of getting the DC involved.

Are your kids in an international school? Our kids are and all sorts is happening. An organised mufti to kids spontaneously selling things to fund-raise.

MNHQ won't get involved officially with a charity but agree it's a great idea.

So shall we set up a thread linking to a official fund-raising page for mumsnetters?

Of on the school run now so back later..

Well done Thingumy :) setting up a thread is a good idea :)

I have no idea on how to set up a fund page though and how it works .

Do you set up a page and donate to one particular charity or split the donations between several?

Is it possible to for you to PM me OYYBK?

I do know you can set up a named fund with shelterbox and track your box(es).

Do a search on MN or Google re Samaritan's Purse. Dreadful dreadful 'charity'. Donate to them if you are happy that they only give to those who they think can be converted to Christianity (and I am a Christian).

There are many truly worthy charities that donate without strings.

I agree on donating to a charity with the mission of 'just' helping victims of disaster.

I personally,have donated to shelterbox as they are a fantastic and honourable charity.

If we use this page on shelterbox and all put in Mumsnet as the name of the organisation do you think it would collate all of the donations (and would mn mind us using their name) or should we create a justgiving page and go through that?
Not done this before either!

bump

I am just looking at JustGiving and seeing if we can set something up that donates to a several worthy charities.

Pm'd you OYBBK

What a good idea! Ill be waiting for info :)

*Save The Children has an active campaign going on already

and RedCross are already on the ground in Japan*

Just replied :)

How would people fel about splitting it between 'shelterbox' and Save the Children? if we can do a split donation page?

Marking to donate once up and running.

Can't do more than one charity on Justgiving. So I need to revoke my last question.

Bear with us folk so it is all set up right. Better to do it properly rather than rush something for the sake of a few hours.

ok, Thingumy and I are going to tackle this tomorrow with fresh minds.

Thankd for starting this Zzzen. I get the feeling that not many people are rushing to help because Japan is a wealthy country and some may think that they do not need financial aid.

This story from Slate is worth reading if you're thinking about how best to help Japan: Japan doesn't need your money.

I think the title is rather misleading - Japan does need assistance at the moment, and from this distance, donating to organisations that are providing that assistance is the best thing we can do - but it does make a valid point about charities and aid organisations sometimes having their hands tied and having to use money for a specific purpose, even when there is no longer any real need for it.

So I would recommend that everybody donating in support of Japan only gives to established, world-wide charities that can allocate funds according to need, and use any money left over from Japan to help people caught in other disasters elsewhere in the world.

Organisations like the following are already active in Japan, and have the systems and experience to make good use of donations:

Red Cross
World Vision
Medicins sans Frontieres
Save the Children
Oxfam
and I am sure there are many others.

I spend this morning setting up a Mnetter's JustGiving page for effects of this horrific quake and tsunami.

All monies donated will go to the Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief fund who support help on the ground charities such as Save the Children and Medical Corps.

Link here

I personally can't help but think about all the thousands and thousands of families left with utter devastation of their lives.

exexpat That was very interesting reading. Yes, Japan is a rich country and I will give I think to Shelterbox as a token. But I think a lot of Mums on this thread are thinking, How could we get across to the Mums in Japan who have lost everything that we are thinking of them and they are in our thoughts.

Very, very well done Thingumy. Will contact you later.

Right chaps. It is now officially very easy to donate. As Thingumy says, she has set it up.
Just click here and donate away.

Brill, linked the page to my facebook, I havent got my bank card on me so when dh gets home will donate :)