The Internet is allowing people to make instant donations to help with relief efforts after Sunday's devastating Tsunami in Asia. Millions of dollars have already been raised, and companies and individuals continue to work on ways they can help victims, including the online auction community.

Bloggers, people who write personal, political, business and technical diaries published online, have led by example. Many of the Bloggers I read on a daily basis reported they had already made donations, and they encouraged readers to do the same. They also link to useful sites to learn more about the disaster and link to websites of reputable charities. This online peer pressure is aiding fundraising efforts.

Ecommerce companies have used their real estate to put links to charitable organizations where online donations can be made. Amazon took the lead by allowing its customers to make instant donations right on its home page. It created the link on Tuesday, and by Thursday it had already helped to raise $6.5 million, 100 percent of which will go directly to the Red Cross for Tsunami relief efforts. The amount is nearly half of what the U.S. government initially pledged, making the efforts of Amazon's community remarkable.

In the auction community, eBay said its eBay Foundation would make a contribution of an undisclosed amount to help with the relief efforts in Asia, "and we are investigating other ways to help as more information becomes available and the needs of those affected become more clear." eBay and PayPal created links on their respective home pages to a page on eBay summarizing how their communities could help and included a list of charities set up to help Tsunami victims (http://pages.ebay.com/tsunamirelief).

eBay listed charitable organizations with links to "donate," "buy" or "sell" next to each name. The Buy link takes users to eBay "Giving Works" auctions that benefit the organization, and the Sell link shows users how they can set up an auction and have the proceeds donated to the organization. The Donate button takes users to the charity website where they can make a direct contribution.

eBay Giving Works auctions are coordinated by MissionFish, a nonprofit service of the Points of Light Foundation that has been helping non-profits raise money through online auctions since 2000. MissionFish has its own list of charitable organizations (http://www.missionfish.org/promo/2004/tsunami).

An email inquiry to the Omidyar Network, founded by eBay founder Pierre Omidyar and his wife Pam, went unanswered as of press time.

Users posting on eBay's newly created board dedicated to discussion of the disaster expressed strong interest in being able to donate using their PayPal accounts (http://forums.ebay.com/db1/forum.jsp?forum=4028).

On Thursday evening, eBay announced users could begin using their PayPal accounts to donate funds to UNICEF's tsunami relief efforts by going to http://donations.paypal.com. "UNICEF is working closely with the governments in all countries affected by this disaster to combat the spread of disease and ensure that the victims have immediate access to fresh water, food, shelter, medical care and supplies" (http://www.unicefusa.org).

eBay drop-off stores, which have been spreading in the past year, have also stepped up to the plate. AuctionDrop announced a program in which consumers can drop off electronics at any The UPS Store, and AuctionDrop will sell the items on eBay with net proceeds going to CARE (http://www.careusa.org).

The program allows people who may be low on funds to make a non-cash contribution. Andrea Roesch, AuctionDrop's Director of Corporate Communications, said CARE has had a presence in the affected areas for decades and has the means to get help to those who need it.

At least one other drop-off stores began running charity auctions for Tsunami relief, and others are likely to follow.

The Internet has its dark side too, enabling scammers to create realistic looking sites or send hoax emails. Users should donate to trusted charities. Guidestar (http://www.guidestar.org) can verify whether an organization is a registered non-profit in the U.S.

Users should also make sure when visiting charitable sites that they are at the correct site, and not a hoax site with a similar spelling set up to trick users.

While the death count from the disaster grimly multiplies daily, donations are likely to continue in the coming days and weeks, but the need for money will last for years. With the Internet, we will have the ability to watch.

Other Links

Better Business Bureau Advice on Tsunami Charitable Giving
http://www.dallas.bbb.org/news_20041229.html

Digital Divide Network
http://www.digitaldivide.net/community/disaster-relief

Blog by Andy Carvin, basically a Tsunami information clearinghouse
http://www.tsunami-info.org

"Blogs Provide Raw Details From Scene of the Disaster," By John Schwartz (New York Times, 12/28/04)
Free registration required.
http://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/28/technology/28blogs.html?oref=login