As Brian Fenerty pointed out on Recruiting Techniques in China, this blog is supposed to be focused on talent issues.

But when something this traumatic happens, it's hard to focus on hiring and retention. Oddly enough the earthquake is having an effect on workforce planning because so many Sichuanese are returning home to find relatives. So much so that factories on the East Coast of China fear worsening labor shortages. I guess my talent radar never really switches off.

We are far away from the disaster here on the East Coast, and there is a disembodied sense of powerless in the face of nature’s power. There is also a welcome outpouring of financial support for the victims of the earthquake in Sichuan.

Obviously, helping other people is not a new idea in China but charity as a practical concept is still little understood as there is no history of charity in China. If no one has ever done something before it is unlikely that they will feel an urge to do it. Until they just have to.

Now that the floodgates are opened there is reputed to be close to US$1 billion in the pot. But this is a very small amount when you look at the magnitude of the problem. Much more is needed.

There are online destinations where you can help but it can be difficult to find sites, and figure out how they will use the money. Most sites are about donating cash but some allow you to show moral support simply by clicking a banner, or entering missing people’s names, or giving blood, or sending an SMS which has part of its cost routed to a charity.

These links might provide you with some ideas, or some alignment with how you actually want to help. Some may need a proxy:

1.  US REDCROSS  http://www.redcross.org/news/in/profiles/Intl_profile_ChinaEarthquake
2.  CHENGDU REDCROSS  http://www.chengduredcross.org
3.  CHINA CHARITY http://www.chinacharity.cn/wzdefaultservlet 
4.  MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES http://www.msf.org.hk/public/main2
5.  GOOGLE SEARCH PLATFORM   http://www.google.cn/intl/zh-CN/qinren/cse.html 
6.  WORLD VISION   http://donate.wvus.org/OA_HTML/xxwvibeCCtpSctDspRte.jsp?section=10025
7.  MSN & TOYOTA    http://info.msn.com.cn/caihong/rainbow.html
8.  CARE FOR CHILDREN   http://www.careforchildren.com.cn/appeal/
9.  TIANYA    http://cache.tianya.cn/publicforum/content/free/1/1224965.shtml
10.  CHINESE CHILDREN  http://www.chinesechildren.org/Sichuan_earthquake.aspx
11.  CHINA REDCROSS http://redcross.org.cn 
12.  CWDF   http://www.cwdf.org.cn
13.  SNDA   http://www.sdo.com/08earthquake/theme/index.htm
14.  CAFANC   http://www.cafanc.org/donate/
15.  CCTF http://www.cctf.org.cn/English/index.htm
16.  MERCY CORPS http://www.mercycorps.org/chinaearthquake/?source=1062
17.  SOHU  http://news.sohu.com/20080512/n256808674.shtml
18.  CRCF     http://www.crcf.org.cn/gb/jianjie/jkindex.asp
19.  OXFAM   https://www.oxfam.org.hk
20.  BULLOG   http://www.bullog.cn/blogs/liuyanban/archives/136782.aspx
21.  ONE FOUNDATION   http://www.onefoundation.cn/zhuanti/080512dz/index.htm
22.  CFPA  http://www.fupin.org.cn/en/index.asp
23.  SCF  http://scf.88547.com/home/
24.  CPGP  http://www.givingchina.org/GiveNow.asp
25.  GLOBAL GIVING   http://www.globalgiving.com/china.html
26.  HALF THE SKY   http://www.halfthesky.org/journal/?p=88
27.  CHINA MERCHANTS BANK    http://live.cmbchina.com/webpages/tda_sc/index.html
28.  YEEPAY    http://www.yeepay.com/mlove/
29.  HEART TO HEART   http://www.hearttoheart.org/give.aspx?tween=false
30.  BLOOD DONATIONS     http://shanghaiist.com/2008/05/14/give_blood_and_help_the_earthquake_victims.php
31.  TSINGHUA FOUNDATION   http://tsinghuafoundation.org/earthquake08/index.html
32.  DO YOU HIKE    http://www.doyouhike.net/forum/512dizhen/296659,0,0,0.html
33.  OSCCF   http://www.osccf.org/donation_method.aspx?lan=cn
34.  SERCOC    http://web.wenxuecity.com/BBSView.php?SubID=finance&MsgID=1107371

More information can be found on Ifgogo, CNReviews, ChinaLaw, Shanghaiist, CrossRoads, Danwei, China Beat, Global Voices etc. if you are really interested. 

If you have anymore sites to link to, you can email me at frankmulliganchina at gmail dot com. If there are any issues with any of the donation sites in the list above, an email to the same address please. This post does not constitute legal advice …. So give with care.

Charity Navigator’s ratings might help you sort out the wheat from the chaff.