It’s not a feel-good, magical topic. But I was so heartbroken yesterday about the ongoing crisis in Haiti that I couldn’t think about anything else when I sat down to write my Jentasmic column this week for Studios Central. So, I put my newly-developed skills in reading and finding the SEC filings of public companies to work, and did a little analysis of what the $100,000 contribution from The Walt Disney Company really means in the context of their corporate finances.
The Walt Disney Company has donated $100,000 to the Red Cross International Fund, to support Haiti’s earthquake relief efforts. This is a good thing. A number of companies are contributing to relief efforts, and I hope they will continue to do so. Google, for example, has gotten a good bit of press for its pledge of $1,000,000.
But what does this look like as a percentage of the company’s resources? What would it mean if each of us personally took this as an example, and planned our own donations accordingly? What if we wanted to give at least as generously to Haiti earthquake relief as Disney has, based on our own personal financial means?
Let’s consider an average 4-person Florida household, whose median income in 2009 was $71,124, according to the US Census. What donation would they give to support Haiti relief efforts, if they used the same proportion as what Disney has given?
Go see what the math tells us. And think about whether you can give at least $0.20 to help out in Haiti. If you can, check out this list at the New York Times, and pick the charity that speaks most closely to your heart.
I tell you, when I got the news about the quake, the first people I thought of were my old colleagues from Haiti on the Custodial staff down in Orlando – but I knew we wouldn’t leave them to face this alone. Still a very good post, Jennifer.