Charities Aiding Haiti Set New Text Record

from The Chronicle of Philanthropy:

The earthquake that hit Haiti on Tuesday has prompted more donations than many aid groups say they have seen since Hurricane Katrina and the Asian tsunamis.

Many groups are raising big sums online and through text messages. The American Red Cross had received $5.6-million as of 6 p.m. Eastern time Thursday through its campaign to encourage $10 gifts through texts. (updated to $12 m. on Saturday)

That’s a record for the group in terms of text messages; by contrast, it raised $200,000 from texts after the 2008 hurricane season.

… Other charities fund-raising results:

• AmeriCares had raised more than $1-million as of this morning.

• Catholic Relief Services had raised $2.5-million online as of this morning. The group estimates that another $1-million has come in through the telephone and in pledges by major donors.

• Convio, the company that provides software to charities, had processed more than $20-million yesterday, more than it did on December 31, typically the biggest fund-raising day of the year.

• Donors had contributed more than $100,000 through GlobalGiving.

• Lutheran World Relief had surpassed $200,000 in online gifts, a record for the group.

• Mercy Corps had received $600,000 online as of yesterday afternoon.

• Operation USA had raised $100,000 as of last night, its biggest response in the first 24 hours after a disaster since Hurricane Katrina.

• Oxfam America had raised $2.7-million as of today.

• The Salvation Army had raised $762,000 online as of Thursday morning.

• Save the Children’s U.S. organization had raised more than $1.3-million as of Thursday afternoon, while its international affiliates had raised an additional $900,000.

• World Vision had received about $700,000 online as of yesterday afternoon, as well as $100,000 from major donors and $100,000 in corporate gifts.

[eJP note: for a list of global Jewish organizations providing disaster relief assistance, check our post Jewish Charities Aid Haiti Earthquake Victims.]