Network for Good, which itself processed $5.3 million in Haiti donations, offers some good observations about the experience.

In their article, each of the following points is examined:

1. Major charities represented, but smaller organizations raised significant funds
2. More places to give online during a crisis creates big range in average gift size.
3. Social media outlets activate immediate, far-reaching support.
4. Groundswell of giving post-disaster ebbs after first week.
5. Donors have specific expectations about how their gift makes a difference.

Re #2, Network for Good reports the average gift across a number of giving channels, including $117 for your basic charity donate page, $30 on a social site like Facebook, $5-10 for mobile giving.

But to me, the most universally applicable point relates to #4, which I’d summarize as: Be Prepared! In the case of Haiti, donations peaked within two days of the disaster, then quickly declined.

Any nonprofit can find itself, its cause or mission suddenly in the spotlight, perhaps with no warning. With the obvious capacity of online media and tools to capture and harness public interest at that extraordinary moment — which might be a very fleeting moment — it is imperative to have an action plan in place to implement immediately.

When calamity strikes, be it a meltdown in Congress or a natural disaster (or your executive director  is subpoenaed … not every calamity is a fundraising opportunity!), it’s already too late for planning. It’s time to push the "Launch" button.

Tom

P.S. Above, I’ve chosen to stress immediacy. But NfG’s data illustrates the "long tail" effect as well. And they make the interesting point that as needs change following the disaster, the relevance of — and opportunities for — various organizations can shift. In this case, immediate disaster relief, for which the Red Cross might be an obvious giving option, will give way to long-term rebuilding, for which the best giving choice might be a lesser-known charity that has an established and effective programmatic presence in the country.