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Disaster giving - How Australians respond

Associate Professor Matthew Clarke, Deakin University and Dr Simon Feeny, RMIT University, Melbourne
10 February 2009

Research by Dr Matthew Clarke and Dr Simon Feeny was recently published in the Australian Economic Review and sheds new light on what determines Australians’ generosity. The research looked at what made the Australian public respond to a number of different public appeals for emergencies and natural disasters in recent years.

Associate Professor Matthew Clarke teaches International and Community Development at Deakin University and Dr Simon Feeny is a Senior Lecturer at RMIT University in Melbourne.

The Australian public are extremely generous when responding to natural disasters that occur overseas. No one will forget the fund-raising activities that were supported to assist those affected by the Asian Tsunami in 2004. When disasters occur overseas, we are generally among the largest donors on a per capita basis through our public donations to international aid agencies, such as World Vision Australia and Oxfam.

Can we expect similar generosity to those affected by the Great Victorian Bushfires in the coming weeks?

Already the estimated death toll is edging closer to 200 people, with thousands more losing their homes and all their possessions. The pictures of devastation in these ravaged communities are overwhelming. Alarming, the fires have yet to be contained in many parts of Victoria and the fire season is only part-way through.

In response, a number of Australian agencies, such as the Red Cross and Salvation Army, have launched public appeals seeking to raise funds to provide short-term assistance to those affected. Initial estimates of funds raised suggest that tens of millions (and perhaps over 100 million) dollars will be donated.

Whilst Australians are, in general, generous to those in need, there is considerable variation in their response to disasters overseas. For example, World Vision Australia was able to raise, in the first few months of 2005 alone, over $100 million for the Asian Tsunami. This disaster killed an estimated 300,000 people and displaced one million more. Yet, a few months later it was only able to raise $30,000 for a famine in Niger that affected 3.6 million people with an estimated 10 per cent dying from starvation.

It is necessary therefore to understand what motivates the Australians to donate to public appeals for natural disasters for two reasons. Firstly, agencies do not wish to waste money unnecessarily on fundraising campaigns. It is expensive to launch public appeals and they should only be launched if there is a likelihood of a positive return. Secondly, it provides an insight as to the general understanding the public have of the circumstances of those affected by these events. This knowledge helps agencies plan their advocacy and awareness raising campaigns.

Our research, published in the Australian Economic Review, focussed on how Australians respond to natural disasters in developing countries. It is likely though that our findings will also be relevant to understand how Australians respond to terrible events in our own country.

Using various techniques to determine how public responses to a number of different public appeals for emergencies and natural disasters differ, we found that the Australian public’s generosity is positively associated with the number of people affected, the extent of media coverage of the emergency or disaster and, interestingly, the extent of political and civil freedom in the affected country.

Assuming all else remains unchanged, a ten percent increase in people killed results in more than three times greater level of public donations. A ten percent increase in media coverage results in a ten percent increase in public donations, and a disaster in a country that enjoys politically freedom receives approximately four times financial support than a country perceived to be unfree.

These results therefore suggest that Australians are moved by what they see reported in the media and by disasters affecting a lot of people. Public donations are also higher when disasters occur in countries that respect democratic principles. By any account therefore, the response to the bushfires in Victoria will be significant.

For agencies assisting those impacted by natural disasters, our findings are important because they highlight the important role that the media can play in people’s donations to public appeals. The immediate and personal coverage of those affected by the bushfires on the radio, television and in print have brought us all an intimate understanding of the loss and devastation suffered by these people. Agencies should continue working closely with the media in reporting disasters and emergencies and the media should understand their potential influence on Australians’ generosity.

So how will Australians respond to our neighbours in need? Already the public response has been overwhelming. Twenty million dollars has been donated thus far. Major fundraising events organised by Cricket Australia and the Australian Football League will further boost this amount.

While the Great Victorian Bushfires have caused great pain and sorrow, they will no doubt provide an opportunity for a generous nation to once again assist those in need.

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