eAid for Haiti

After Haiti was struck by an earthquake on January 12, millions of people used technology to raise awareness, show support, and contribute to relief efforts. Technology even served as a lifeline, offering victims a way to plea for help or alert others of their whereabouts. In the days and weeks following the earthquake, people saw how much of an impact technology could make in the face of disaster and destruction. These innovative tools sparked activism in the wake of tragedy.

We Have We Need: Created to pair donors with those in need, this site is the Craigslist of Haiti relief. Even in difficult economic times, We Have We Need proves that people will offer pretty much anything to pitch in, from diapers to cargo planes to website development services.

Mobile apps: Smartphone apps moved beyond fun programs like Foursquare and Urbanspoon to apps that raise awareness of relief efforts in Haiti. The Red Cross’ Haiti Relief and Development app features a real-time newsfeed and direct links to donate to Red Cross relief projects. Another app, Note to Haiti, allows smartphone users to submit well wishes to the people of Haiti. Both apps are free.

Ushahidi: This humanitarian organization created the Crisis Map of Haiti, the most thorough and up-to-date crisis map available online. Victims and volunteers submit reports—anything from GPS coordinates for trapped victims to requests for food and water—by text, phone, radio, or social media, which are then geo-tagged and submitted to relief teams on the ground.

Frequent flier miles: For those short on cash, major airlines and hotel chains now offer a way to donate frequent flier miles and hotel loyalty points to Haiti relief efforts through their websites. Other companies offer free frequent flier miles or points to donors as an incentive for making monetary contributions to the American Red Cross, Yéle Haiti, UNICEF, and other groups serving refugees in Haiti.

Donations by text: Text messaging has made it easier than ever to donate to a Haiti relief organization. By texting a keyword to a “short code”, a donation of $5 or $10 is tacked onto your monthly phone bill. In the seven weeks since the earthquake, more than $32 million has been donated via text to the Red Cross alone, a significant increase from the $500,000 total raised after Hurricane Katrina.