Sending donations to the relief agencies

The national committee of Story Tsunami will not handle any of the donations that are collected by each local storytelling organization. Each organization is responsible for sending funds directly to the relief agencies.

The organizing committee has researched and selected four agencies as recipients of the funds:

Oxfam, Save the Children, Mercy Corps, and the American Red Cross.

See the "Relief Agencies" page for information about and links to these organization's web sites.

Some organizations are co-sponsored by religious groups or organizations with ties to other relief agencies. This is fine. We encourage you to include at least one of the targeted agencies, but we are not requiring you to do so. Please check on the reputation of other agencies' charitable work by consulting with Charity Navigator for their effectiveness.

Each participating organization has to make some decisions and follow some simple steps for consistent management of donations:

1) Decide which of the four relief agencies to support:

This could be all four or any smaller number.

2) Decide how you will distribute the funds:

(a) Collected funds will be divided by the storytelling organization, either evenly or weighted toward favorite agencies -- you can decide to distribute the money in any pattern you like..

To do this, you will need to have a non-profit organization with a 501(c)3 status. Checks will be written to this 501(c)3 organization.

The organization will have the responsibility of acknowledging any gifts made (generally, people paying for admission with cash won't want an acknowledgement but people writing checks for more than $10 will want an acknowledgement).

ADVANTAGE: Taking contributions will be easy.
DISADVANTAGE: Acknowledging contributions could be a burden on the person managing finances for the organization.

(b) Funds are distributed by the audience members.

To do this, you must prepare boxes with slots in their tops, one for each relief agency being supported. Audience members will put their $10 in cash or check directly into the agency box they wish to support. Checks will be written to the relief agency!!

The money will be counted by the storytelling organization. A bank check or money order will be created for the cash receipts, and the checks and money order (for the cash collected) will be mailed to each relief agency according to the audience's distribution. The relief agencies will acknowledge the gifts made by check.

ADVANTAGE: Once the money is sent and a final report is filed with the Story Tsunami committee, there will be no more tasks.
DISADVANTAGE: Audience members will need time to decide where to put their donations when they come to the hall -- this may be a social occasion as each person carefully makes a decision. Extra time will be needed in the program for that experience; boxes will have to be made and decorated. Information about each relief agency will need to be prepared and presented in an efficient form

3) Appoint a Financial Manager

While it is possible for one person to organize and manage an entire storytelling event, it would be a very good idea to appoint a different person to manage the financial aspects of the project, with oversight by a member of the board of directors (or perhaps a bank officer from a locally owned bank or credit union which might inspire the bank to make a contribution!).

This person will be responsible for setting up the donation box(es); providing change for the event; counting the receipts; filling out the agency and final report forms; seeing that acknowledgements are mailed to donors, if necessary.

4) Connect with your local Red Cross, if you are supporting this agency:

The American Red Cross has local or county chapters all over the country. If you are letting the audience decide on distribution of funds, you could go to your local chapter and sign out a special collection bucket for funds; those buckets will be opened by the chapter, which will be a very easy way to manage the funds. In addition, the chapter may have some good ideas for the promotion of your event.

5) Send the funds to the relief agencies.

These Agency Report Forms will provide you with the correct address and information about how to send donations. Print them out and enclose them with donation mailing:

AGENCY REPORT FORMS in pdf format
Agency Report Forms in html format

5) Make a final report to Story Tsunami by March 10, 2005

We will all want know how much money was raised by the international storytelling community; the grand total will be proudly announced on this web site on March 15th, 2005.

Final Report Form