Dear Neighbors, As we watch the rising death toll in Nepal, and learn more about the pre-earthquake poverty of that nation, many of us are moved to make a financial donation to help the relief efforts. Good for us! As you think about where and how to donate, please keep some things in mind. There are different types of relief agencies: those which spring up with each new disaster and those which have been working in impoverished nations for decades. Your relief dollars will be much better spent when given to agencies with a long history in disaster-prone areas, which using local labor, whose programs are community-centered, and which rebuild economies rather than just handing out temporary aid. In addition, please consider making your donation count not just for this disaster but to help impoverished people for years to come by signing up to send even a small amount ($10 to $25) on a monthly basis to an organization which will develop local resources, network with other NGOs and partner with local and national governments. Such organizations will be in place with the right leadership, equipment, communications, and supplies no matter where the next disaster hits. We recommend Save the Children as such an agency. When you listen to news reports from disasters like the one in Nepal, Save the Children is usually mentioned because they already have programs in almost every impoverished nation in the world. Save the Children is top-rated in Charity Navigator, serves families internationally as well as here in the United States, and works in partnership with those in poverty to establish education, healthcare, employment, micro financing, etc. There are other excellent organizations which do the same kind of work. Rather than donating one-time to one disaster, please consider a more thoughtful, long-term commitment to truly solving the problem of worldwide poverty. Thank-you for considering this request, Sarah & Tal Heppenstall