# Plan UK credits social media with its Haiti fundraising success

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2010/01/26/plan-uk-credits-social-media-its-haiti-fundraising-success/
- Published: 2010-01-26T12:49:57+00:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Children’s charity Plan UK has raised over £100,000 in a week for its Haiti earthquake
appeal. It puts much of this down to the power of social media and “constant sharing
of information about the devastating quake on the web”.

Globally the charity has raised £8-10 million for its work providing Haitians with
emergency food, shelter and water.

“Haiti really has seen the dawn of a new age in disaster response,” said Jeremy 
Cooper, Plan UK’s director of fundraising.

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“We had to meet the dual challenges of orchestrating a quick and effective aid effort
in horrific circumstances while also meeting the

demand for 24-hour information from the field.

“The fact that we’ve met those demands means that donations have come in on-line
at all hours.”

Plan staff in Port-au-Prince have given media interviews and blogged around the 
clock to help keep the UK media and wider public informed.

The charity has issued updates daily ­drawing media attention to development issues
such as the need for psycho-social support, girls’ rights and the risk of child 
trafficking.

“This latest disaster has highlighted the way social media is changing the way many
raise awareness and funds,” added Plan UK’s new media

manager Katharine Dorset.

“Within 24 hours of the emergency hitting Haiti we sent an eAppeal to our supporters
but just minutes after the earthquake Plan staff were using social networking sites
to circulate content and updates.”

She confirmed that the charity had received a “remarkable response” from social 
networking sites such as Twitter and online auctions, together with sharing of news
via blogs from Haiti.

www.plan-uk.org/haiti

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