Twenty-five years after 9/11, the charitable response offers practical lessons for disaster giving, nonprofit coordination, and public trust.
This Friday marks the 25th anniversary of September 11. Although we hope never to face a disaster like this again, moments of collective vulnerability and strength can teach us lessons about how to respond in a moment of crisis.
For many Americans, 9/11 is still a vivid memory. But as we approach the 25th anniversary, more than 30 million U.S. adults were not alive on the day of the tragedy. Remembering how people responded, and what we learned from that response, is as important as ever.
Today, we take a moment to reflect on how the charitable sector and the American public stepped up in the wake of the tragedy, and to reflect on some of the lessons that continue to shape disaster response today. With natural hazards and severe weather events on the rise, and the ongoing possibility of human-caused disasters, these lessons are valuable for the future.
In the aftermath of 9/11, Americans responded with an extraordinary outpouring of generosity. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), as many as two-thirds of American households donated to charities responding to the attacks, while 35 of the largest charities collectively raised an estimated $2.7 billion.
But the response was much broader than these 35 charities’ fundraising campaigns. A 2003 report by the Education and Research Foundation of the BBB Serving Metropolitan New York documented hundreds of charitable efforts, as well as businesses and labor organizations helping their communities. Business associations, unions, farmers, teachers, and others found ways to help people within their own communities and professions. The report also noted that donated volunteer hours represented additional, valuable responses, but were hard to measure. One organization alone reported 55,000 volunteer hours. Efforts of all sizes were significant and helped people channel their grief and dismay into productive responses.
Since then, we have seen human solidarity in other moments of crisis, including the record $5.3 billion charitable outpouring following Hurricane Katrina, and the $10 Billion in institutional and individual philanthropy in response to COVID-19.
These days, everything can feel divisive, even charities. But the reality is that these moments, and much of the important mission work conducted by charities, are simply human. The response to 9/11 was a demonstration of what is possible when we come together.
Federal agencies and local governments have a critical role in disaster response but can seldom do everything. Charities bring different strengths, expertise, and relationships, from immediate food, shelter and financial assistance to longer-term services such as mental health counseling, health support, job training and longer-term support for affected families.
For example, according to the GAO report, services provided in the wake of 9/11 by American Red Cross (a BBB Accredited Charity) included offering 396 survivor families 12 months’ living expenses, serving 14 million meals for disaster workers, and offering 236,000 mental health counseling visits. Other BBB Accredited Charities, such as Salvation Army, World Vision, and American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, each offered specialized support.
At the same time, the 9/11 response demonstrated the difficulty and importance of coordinating among many organizations, including charities and government. Survivors could find it intimidating to access assistance, while organizations had to understand how their efforts fit into a much larger effort.
9/11 left an appreciation for the variety of roles and the necessity to collaborate.
The extraordinary fundraising that followed 9/11 also raised concerns about duplication of effort. With so many organizations seeking donations and providing assistance, the need for a coordinated approach became evident.
Effective disaster response requires organizations to coordinate, communicate, and understand where they can add the most value. Since then, organizations such as the Human Services Council of New York have developed preparedness tools, emergency plans, disaster resilience working groups, and training programs to help nonprofits prepare for future emergencies.
However, each disaster is different, so the need to collaborate and avoid duplicate efforts should continue to be front of mind.
One of the most important reflections from 9/11 is that disaster response begins long before a disaster strikes, and recovery lasts for much longer.
A lack of disaster communications and preparedness plans, along with damage to communications systems immediately following the 9/11 event, made it difficult for organizations to assess needs and coordinate recovery efforts rapidly. Preparedness and recovery are not as visible or emotionally compelling. Still, investing in relationships, systems and plans before a crisis can make the response faster, clearer and more effective. Investing in long-term recovery helps communities rebuild.
For more about disaster relief phases, see Disaster Relief and Preparedness: A Cause Guide for Donors – Give.org.
The urgency of a disaster does not lessen a charity’s responsibility to donors and beneficiaries or its obligation to be transparent. According to the GAO report, by 2002, roughly 70% of the funds collected by major charities had been distributed to survivors or spent on disaster relief, including direct assistance and services for affected families, disaster relief workers, and people who lost jobs or residences. Donors want to help quickly and want to know how their gifts are being used.
The volume of fundraising that took place within days of 9/11 was unprecedented. Many organizations, corporations and individuals wanted to help, but how they could help was less clear. In the early days of a disaster, needs can change rapidly, and organizations may not yet know exactly what assistance will be required, but organizations with a clear programmatic intent and expertise should clearly share what the donor is supporting.
Our Give.org Donor Trust Report on Disaster Relief Donor Expectations found that only 24.1% of potential donors say charity disaster relief appeals are “very clear.” Specifying what disaster response services a charity will provide can make an appeal stronger. Whenever possible, a clear charitable appeal should explain what the organization intends to do and who will benefit from the contributions. If some of the funds raised will be used for long-term needs, this should also be disclosed in solicitations.
The enormous influx of charitable dollars following 9/11 raised an important question: What happens when money arrives faster than organizations can determine how it should responsibly be spent?
During moments of unprecedented giving or viral attention to a special cause, it is important for both charities and donors to keep in mind that effective response requires the capacity to manage that generosity responsibly.
The work of disaster response is physically and emotionally draining. Charities themselves can become stressed by the extraordinary demands placed on them following a major disaster.
Staff and volunteers need support. Organizations and donors should be mindful of sustaining the people carrying out disaster response and recovery work.
The aftermath of 9/11 saw the emergence of new charitable organizations and fundraising efforts. Some served an important purpose. Others did not endure.
In general, established organizations can have more experience and connections to respond efficiently and effectively, but there can be legitimate reasons to create a new organization to address an extraordinary event. In such cases, urgency should not negate the need for accountability reporting. Even a newly formed charity should be able to tell the public who is overseeing it, what it plans to do, how funds will be used, and what financial systems are in place.
Periods of heightened need also create heightened vulnerability. In the aftermath of 9/11, concerns arose about charitable scams, misuse of donations, and the potential for charitable channels to be exploited for illicit purposes.
That made public education an important part of the response. Donors need practical information about how to recognize legitimate appeals, research organizations, and give more safely.
The BBB Standards for Charity Accountability can be helpful in reminding both experienced and new charities of potential problems to avoid and how to ensure their emergency activities are carried out with full transparency and integrity.
We are always working with charities to publish or update reports for donors. Visit Give.org to check out any charity before giving. Our recently evaluated charities include:
Finally, remember to let us know by going to give.org/charity-inquiry if you are interested in seeing a report on a charity not on the list and we will do our best to produce one.
