Relief organizations learning lessons from Katrina efforts

A year after Hurricane Ka trina devastated the Gulf Coast, experts are taking a hard look at how well relief operations functioned, including those backed by charities and other nonprofit organizations.

It's important to know what went right and what didn't so do nors can be assured that the lessons are applied to future disaster recovery efforts, said Trent Stamp, executive director of the Charity Navigator, based in Mahwah.

One thing Americans did that was very right was to give generously to relief groups, with some $4.2 billion contributed after Ka trina hit on Aug. 29, followed by hurricanes Rita and Wilma.

But at least a quarter of that money didn't go to established nonprofits like the American Red Cross or the Salvation Army. Instead, it went to what Stamp refers to as "the new, best thing," which are charities that spring up to deal with a single incident or specific cause.

"I don't think disasters are a time for amateurs," Stamp said. "We saw people show up in New Orleans with new foundations say ing, 'I'm going to participate,' but they didn't have the right skills and their track records weren't particularly good."

Charity Navigator, a nonprofit organization, operates the Web site www.charitynavigator.org, which provides information on more than 5,000 charities to help donors make informed decisions about giving.

Stamp said wise spending by charities is important, but he fears a great deal of money that was raised in the name of Katrina victims will never be properly ac counted for.

"Maybe $1 billion went to groups that we've never heard of to do work we're not sure was needed or even done," he said. "There's no accountability for that money, and that concerns me."

A new study by the Public Af fairs Research Council of Louisiana and the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government at the State University of New York in Albany concluded that people moved by the devastation Katrina caused "helped fill a tremendous gap left in the response by the state, local and federal governments."

It pointed out that in many cases, volunteers from these churches and charities were among the first to reach devastated areas. But it said there were questions about how effective they were once they got there.

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