We’re departing from our pre-announced “schedule” today to express our own concern for the people of Haiti … and our gratitude to the millions of people — including, we suspect, our readers — who have responded to this disaster with financial aid.

The initial reports we’ve seen indicate that humanitarian organizations are receiving record amounts of contributions, amounts exceeding Katrina, with the earliest gifts being made online at an astounding rate.

Both Convio and Blackbaud, the leading online fundraising software firms, report huge online response on January 13th – Convio reporting $20 million in gifts on the first day, surpassing the historic record date of December 31 only weeks ago; and similarly, Blackbaud reporting three times the number of transactions on 13 January than on 31 December.

Early data (and here) reported by the Chronicle of Philanthropy on the first 24 hours (now over a day old … a light year in online fundraising terms*) indicated that major humanitarian groups had already received millions of dollars  – Americares, $1 million+; Catholic Relief Services, $2.5 million; Oxfam, $2.7 million; American Red Cross, $1 million via its website and another million via its mobile campaign, in which a text to “Haiti” triggers a $10 contribution. Other groups like Mercy Corps and Save the Children were approaching the $1 million mark, and have probably now surpassed it.

[*For example, according to this update, American Red Cross has now exceeded $35 million in the first 48 hours, including $5.6 million via its mobile text campaign.]

Facilitating this kind of disaster response is what online fundraising systems do best. By now, major relief and humanitarian organizations have contingency programs in place, supported by robust online fundraising systems, to enable immediate response.

Donors, given the ability to respond just as quickly as electronic media bring them the news firsthand and visually, undoubtedly feel more efficacious and empowered in the face of a horrific tragedy.

One hopes that the humanitarian organizations, in the first instance, are able to channel the funds raised so quickly to equally fast and effective relief on the ground in Haiti. Demonstrating they have done so, they will hopefully then be in a position to raise additional funds for the longer term restoration effort.

Roger & Tom

P.S. If you haven’t had a chance to give support yet, here are some options as presented on CNN.