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| Philanthropy |
In the Wake of the Tsunami
Marilen Cawad
07/01/2005
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After
the tsunami,
recognized nonprofits specializing in international
humanitarian work also
attracted significant support from
philanthropists, especially from those that
had longstanding
relationships with large aid groups. The credibility of the
brand
attracted Arthur Blank, cofounder of Home Depot and chairman of the Arthur
Blank Family Foundation, to write a $250,000 check to CARE after the
tsunami
struck. CARE, headquartered in Atlanta, had been conducting
programs in
Southeast Asia prior to the tsunami.
On top of the
$250,000 donation, Blank,
who also owns Mountain Sky Guest Ranch and
two football teams—the NFL’s Atlanta
Falcons and the Georgia Force
arena squad—mobilized his teams and associates to
raise more funds for
the relief efforts. The Falcons held a tsunami relief
collection at the
Georgia Dome prior to the January 15 divisional playoff game,
raising
an additional $31,000, while the Force donated 10 percent of all new
season ticket revenue collected that month. To encourage more giving,
Blank
matched 2-to-1 every dollar his employees contributed to tsunami
relief,
including nearly $40,000 that Falcons players collected in
their locker room.
All totaled, Blank’s organizations have contributed
nearly $400,000 to relief
efforts.
Overall, the outpouring of
support for the tsunami relief effort
far surpassed most goals. A
report from the Center on Philanthropy at Indiana
University noted that
private donations for tsunami relief from organizations
and individuals
in the United States surpassed $1 billion in March. The center
counted
$942,315,162 in cash contributions and an additional $117,247,716 in
in-kind donations, such as medical supplies, food, blankets and relief
services.
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