International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Rescue Lives in Haiti: How to Help

Family in Villambetta Photo: Nancy Farese

Photo: Nancy Farese for the IRC

The International Rescue Committee is immensely grateful for the staggering outpouring of support and interest from all of you wanting to help the survivors of the earthquake in Haiti. 

Here is some information about how you can best make a difference:

I want to make a gift to help the IRC rescue lives: Please donate to support our work.

I want to volunteer: We are very grateful for your generosity, but the IRC does not send volunteers to our overseas programs, even in emergencies.  There are many other ways to help including:

  • DIY (Do-It-Yourself) Fundraising: Set up a personalized donation page and ask your friends, family and community to donate to help rescue lives in Haiti.
  • Spread the word on Facebook.  Post the following message as your status update: "I am donating my status update to rescue lives in Haiti.  Text RESCUE to 25383 to donate $10 to the IRC’s work rescuing lives in Haiti and other crisis zones around the world. COPY & PASS THIS ON AS YOUR STATUS UPDATE"
  • Get the word out about our text-to-give campaign on Twitter and keep updated as we get news from our team in Haiti on our Twitter page.

I want to donate disaster relief items: Unfortunately, we cannot accept in-kind donations of disaster relief items from the general public.  These items often include offers of air travel, clothing, food items, etc.

Additional information on why the International Rescue Committee and other non-governmental organizations adhere to these policies can be found on the "Volunteering" and "Donations-In-Kind" sections of the FAQ page of the Center for International Disaster Information.  This web page also explains why cash donations are the most efficient way to provide assistance to those in need. 

I want to learn more about relief efforts in Haiti: Go behind the scenes of the IRC’s lifesaving work in Haiti. In an archived webcast from July 2010, two IRC photographers shared their images and stories of our work helping Haitians recover. Register to watch.

See our special report for the latest updates from Haiti. 

Thank you!