Direct Relief International as disaster relief organization: Haiti Earthquake, 2010 (2011 Report)

Table of Contents

Where we looked

All of the below was examined in December 2010.

How much did the organization raise and how much did it spend?

Source Date Amount Donated Amount Spent
Chronicle of Philanthropy1 January 21, 2010 $2 million -
Chronicle of Philanthropy2 February 3, 2010 $4 million -
Chronicle of Philanthropy3 February 12, 2010 $4.8 million -
Chronicle of Philanthropy4 April 30, 2010 $6.1 million -
Chronicle of Philanthropy5 July 9, 2010 $6.3 million $3.9 million
Chronicle of Philanthropy6 December 9, 2010 $6.6 million $2.6 million
Direct Relief International7 January 1, 2011 $6.5 million -

How specific is the organization about how it spent its funds?

Direct Relief International provides a map of the value of the supplies it has distributed; the map can be filtered by type of supplies (equipment, instruments, nutritionals, OTC drugs, personal care or prescription drugs).8 Direct Relief provides a breakdown of how it has spent (or committed to spend) cash it has received, about 50% of which provides warehousing, shipping and logistics to deliver these supplies.9

Non-disaster relief activities

  • In its annual reports,10 Direct Relief lists the total wholesale value of supplies grants, total weight, and "courses of treatment" for each country (though its most recent report provides these numbers only by broader region). It also lists all recipient organizations in each country/region, though it does not break down the figures above by recipient.11
  • In the case of some recipient organizations (about a quarter of them), particular projects are listed in the annual reports.
  • One of the most impressive features of Direct Relief International is its interactive maps: for Haiti and for the United States, Direct Relief provides a map detailing where it delivers its supplies and how much it spends on particular kinds. 12
  • We have not found information on how cash (as opposed to supplies) is used, aside from the information in the standard financial reports (included in the annual reports), but would guess that the breakdown of cash expenses by region would roughly correlate with the breakdown of supplies distributed by region.

Overall, Direct Relief International provides a level of specificity about its worldwide operations that is unusual among disaster relief organizations we've reviewed.

Sources

  • 1

    Chronicle of Philanthropy, “A Roundup of Haiti Fund Raising as of January 29.”

  • 2

    Chronicle of Philanthropy, “Haiti Donations Exceed $644-Million, as of February 3.”

  • 3

    Chronicle of Philanthropy, “American Charities Raise $774-Million for Haiti Relief, Chronicle Tally Finds.”

  • 4

    Chronicle of Philanthropy, “$1.1-Billion Donated for Haiti Relief: Updated Tally.”

  • 5

    Chronicle of Philanthropy, “How Charities Are Helping Haiti: How Much They Raised and Spent. ”

  • 6

    Chronicle of Philanthropy, "Haiti Earthquake Fund raising, One Year Later."

  • 7

    Direct Relief International, "Haiti Donations FAQs."

  • 8

    Direct Relief International, "Haiti Aid Distribution Map."

  • 9

    "Of the $6.5 million in cash received, $5.5 million (85 percent) has been spent or committed to spend for:

  • Warehousing, shipping, and in-country logistics and delivery for designated products ($2.7 million),
  • Rehabilitation services for people with disabilities ($2 million), and
  • Cash grants through a community grants fund for Haitian organizations ($802,925, including a $275,000 grant to Healing Hands for Haiti International's rehabilitation facility).

The remaining 15 percent is allocated to the long-term recovery effort." Direct Relief International, "Haiti Donations FAQs."

Information on the size and purpose of each of Direct Relief International's cash grants is available in its 6-month report.

Direct Relief International, "Haiti 6-Month Report."

  • 10

    • For a listing of the annual reports, see Direct Relief International. "Publications."

  • 11

    • Direct Relief International, “2005 Annual Report.”
    Direct Relief International, "Annual Report 2007," Pgs 20-24.
    Direct Relief International, "Annual Report 2008," Pgs 27-29.

  • 12

    • Direct Relief International. "Haiti Aid Distribution Map."

    Direct Relief International, “U.S. Medical Aid Distribution Map.”