As donations flow in to help Jasper, what do Canadians need to know?
Charities big and small — and maybe even fraudulent — are asking for money to support Jasper
When a fire burned through Slave Lake, Alta., in 2011, truckloads of clothes, furniture and household items arrived for evacuees — and ended up in the dump.
Turns out, physical donations in the wake of a disaster are labour-intensive and take time from vital staff who are needed elsewhere, according to a Slave Lake "Wisdom Gained" report.
In the aftermath of the devastating Jasper wildfires, there are many other lessons that can be taken from previous disasters. Here's what you need to know before making a donation.
Beware of scams
Following the 2016 Fort McMurray fire, scammers targeted both donors and evacuees themselves. Last year, fraudsters claiming to provide "Canada Relief Fund" payments targeted evacuees in the Northwest Territories fires.
Robert Falzon, head of engineering for cyber security company Check Point Software, hasn't yet heard of any scams specifically for Jasper, but warns of unsolicited texts or emails asking for donations — as scams often use the emotions involved in disasters.
"They're using the urgency of a situation like a wildfire," Falzon said.
"That pressure to act immediately is basically on the psychological level, trying to get you to act emotionally rather than rationally."
The Red Cross
The Red Cross is a major player in disaster response across the world, including Canadian wildfires. It's a trusted source advocates like Falzon often turn people toward.
The federal government and the province of Alberta are matching donations to the Canadian Red Cross 2024 Alberta Wildfires Appeal until Aug. 24. Which means that donations during this period will triple.
The Red Cross policy is that the organizational costs of an emergency appeal will not exceed eight per cent. As of Aug. 9, the fund has raised $10.3 million not including federal and provincial matching, and has announced $750 for each household evacuated from Jasper.
But Charity Intelligence, an organization that aims to help Canadians make informed decisions about what charities to support — warns that the Red Cross may have some trade-offs.
"They are big and slow," Kate Bahen, managing director of Charity Intelligence told CBC's Edmonton AM.
As of March 2024, the Red Cross' financial statements list about $4.6 million remaining from the 2016 Alberta fires.
Bahen said that eight years later, this amount leftover is concerning, considering the Red Cross received "almost a monopoly share" of all the money donated to the disaster response.
"Canadians are so generous and we're passionate and we want to give and we want to show our support … we will forget to look into: how was all the millions of dollars we gave, how was it spent and when was it spent?"
"I really think we need to focus on not fundraising costs or which charity has the biggest brand name or the biggest fundraising machine. Which charities can actually get this money to the people of Jasper in a fast and responsive way?"
In a statement to CBC, a spokesperson for the Canadian Red Cross said that "Fort McMurray is an example of how long recovery can take."
Of the total appeal funds raised for Fort McMurray, 99 per cent have been distributed, the statement read. It said the remaining one per cent is dedicated to households still being rebuilt and mitigation efforts to prevent future disasters.
As for the Red Cross having a near-monopoly on disaster response, it said this is "inaccurate and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of emergency and disaster response in Canada" — adding that there are many organizations operating in Canada and last year the Red Cross worked with 2,195 different community organizations.
Who else is raising money?
For Bahen, the best thing is to give to any families you know who were affected directly. Barring that, she recommended looking for organizations close to the ground, who are a registered charity, and accountable to oversight.
Laurie Edward, executive director of the Banff Canmore Community Foundation, said they have raised $160,000 for their Rocky Mountain Community Relief Fund so far. They made the commitment to give 100 per cent of the donations to people impacted by the Jasper fire.
Working with the municipality, the money will be distributed as cash payments — with the first round anticipated to go out in a week, Edward said.
For those who are hearing about the Jasper wildfires who are not familiar with organizations on the ground, the Red Cross is a great option, Edward said. For people closer to the situation, local organizations have a strong role to play.
"I think one of the biggest differences is just the relationships that we have in place," Edward said. "I think we can do things in ways that are really nimble."
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