Since 1988 the Center for International Disaster Information has handled hundreds of thousands of public inquiries related to international emergencies.  The Center, operated under a grant from the United States Agency for International Development's Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance and initial support from IBM, has become a valuable resource to the public, as well as US government agencies, foreign embassies and international corporations.

In the past decade, with numerous large-scale and complex emergencies such as the crisis in Rwanda, Hurricane Mitch, the Kosovo crisis and others it has become clear that the American public's generosity is often misplaced.  The collection of inappropriate donations for international relief activities, as well as attempts to secure opportunities for inexperienced volunteer personnel have become subjects of great concern.  Poorly planned relief activities have had a significant negative impact on a variety of players in the disaster relief arena-from the donor to the disaster victims and the relief agencies in between.

By spreading the word about inappropriate in-kind donations, as well as highlighting the negative impact that these collections have on disaster-affected countries, the Center strives to educate the public on how to respond in a useful and productive manner.   The Guidelines for Making In-Kind Donations have been adopted in some form by nearly every key player in the international donations management arena.  USAID, FEMA, individual U.S. states and various coalitions of relief and development agencies have included these guidelines in their own public information materials. 

The Center uses its information management resources to implement various targeted public awareness activities to address the issues of appropriate donations and volunteer practice in order to reduce the burden they cause for relief organizations, host governments and disaster victims and lessen the frustration experienced by the public donor community.

Though the message is often perceived as a negative one, at its core is positivity.  The Center encourages public participation in international affairs - and provides guidance in promoting activities that would be most useful and beneficial for the ultimate recipients - the disaster victims themselves.

We hope that you will take the time to visit the CIDI web site, review the guidelines, read the articles, browse through the situation reports and take a look at our registration information, and get an experienced view of the realities of international disaster relief.

We encourage your comments, questions and suggestions regarding this site and hope to provide you with the information you need to make informed decisions.

The Center for International Disaster Information operates as a program under Partners for Community Solutions, a 501(c)(3) company incorporated in Washington, DC and maintaining an office in Arlington, Virginia.