Contribute to disaster in Sri Lanka

Phil Bogle, from one of our portfolio companies pointed me to this local charity in Sri Lanka: THE NATIONAL DISASTER RELIEF AND REHABILITATION FUND. I like to give as directly as possible with as little overhead as possible. This looks like a good one in this case. Here is what Phil said about it:

If anyone is interested in donating to a reputable grassroots charitable organization that allows online donations, I now have one. This is the by the Colombo Chamber of Commerce, which Manjari’s (my wife’s uncle) is involved with.

Their web site is http://www.sossrilanka.org/

A local organization like this is complementary to the efforts of big multinationals like the Red Cross and Unicef, donations to which I also encourage wholeheartedly.

They have lots of volunteers already in place who know the country well and they’re in it for the long haul. A key problem is simply understanding what the needs are and how to efficiently meet those needs based on the resources available. A long term perspective and commitment is important. Both the lions club and the colombo chamber of commerce are thinking about the longer terms issues of housing and improved warning systems, as well as immediate aid and comfort. The outpouring of local volunteerism and contributions here has really been quite amazing.