Wildfire relief donations

If you want to donate money for the people affected by wildfires in Southern California, Google has a page up. The Associated Press collected a good list of other organizations as well.

34 Responses to Wildfire relief donations (Leave a comment)

  1. How comes you didn’t link to the google version of the associated press article?

    http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ifMyK3VzvGOgO6alabQiQuv8L0JA

    😉

  2. I for one will donate.

    DP

  3. Excellent idea and a great thing for Google to do. I am assuming they were the first contributor there. I am heading there as soon as I post this.

  4. That is great Matt! Thanks from San Diego!

    It was a wild smoky few days down, here and a good many people lost their homes. The fire fighters from San Diego, really gave it their all the first few days with not enough manpower, not enough food, and little or no rest until the reinforcements arrived from out of state, and around San Diego.

    The outpouring of donations to the half a million people evacuated was staggering. The real help will be needed for those who were uninsured in the upcoming year.

    As you know, I was working with fire fighters within 24 hours of the fire starting. It was amazing that after 48 hours many of them had only gotten two meals. I was able to get some great donations from Naked Juice and Chipotle (A burrito chain), and myself, my wife, my staff, and patients delivered them along with giving the guys chiropractic treatments at the camps.

    Thanks to Google for using their power for the good other Californians. I really think history will judge the big Goog for what it is, an amazing system for categorizing and making available the worlds information.

    With great power comes great responsibility. I am glad the Goog is using it wisely 🙂

    I may have to buy Google a nice Christmas present this year as a thank you. What size shirt does it wear?

    dk

  5. You know that story published by the AP seems very similar to the story Michael wrote a few days ago.

    http://www.planetc1.com/search/7-southern-california-wildfires-charities-and-places-to-donate.html

    Maybe he should have included a cat picture rather than the dogs.

  6. Thanks for that Andy. The AP article has the same release date and a number of news agencies had stories and links for charities on the same day as well.

    Matt, you may have missed the google news version of a similar AP post, it has links to charity sites…
    http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5ifMyK3VzvGOgO6alabQiQuv8L0JA

  7. David, I saw the write-up on your site. It was pretty cool that you showed up to offer free services to the firemen.

    Andy & Michael, thanks for pointing that list out as well.

  8. Urgh. When will I learn not to drink caffeine after 1 p.m.? Oh well, at least I’ve been working down my email backlog because I’m up late..

  9. I’ve seen this donation page mentioned a couple times today on forums; looks like the word is starting to go out. A sincere thanks from another San Diegan! Although we didn’t have to evacuate this time (unlike 2003), we did witness the power of the flames by sheltering two families and also seeing the devastation on a co-worker’s face who lost his beautiful home to the blaze in RB. I felt the government assistance and supports from all over the country have been great so far, but a lot more are still needed for families to start rebuilding their dreams.

    A little suggestion, if Google can put a tracking meter on the page that shows the total amount donated via G checkout, it could be fun and useful.

  10. This is a nice gesture.

    It might be more effective as a text link from the homepage.

    This reminds one of Katrina disaster from a couple of years ago.

    It is hard to tell which was worst.

  11. The weather is crazier than ever. While California almost got burned down Rio de Janeiro suffered the most severe flood since 1988! I guess this is what statistics call “regression to the mean”, although for people who suffered losses in both tragedies this all meant much more than statistics. To all the people of California I send the best vibes in the name of all people of Rio de Janeiro for, be it under fire or water, we are all humans sharing the same space and time.

  12. I think this is a great idea, i feel so sad to those people who affected the fire in california… I can donate but I can include you on my everday praying… Godbless

  13. Probably going to be a lone voice here but anyway.

    The US spends hundreds of billions invading IRAQ…. as a result underspends on their domestic safety, eg, having enough equipment to fight fires, enough fire fighting dudes, backbruning etc….

    and now Google puts up a give the poor gold old US people some money webpage..to help the poor people whose houses burnt down?

    In an era where the world is seeing Google more and more as a Global rather than a US company… it would be great to see Google do something for a country in crisis other than the US, especially when the severity of the crisis in the US is not huge compared with that happening in other countries… other countries that are not burning their finances on a senseless invasion.

    I feel for those who lost their house, or lives. My country is also bushfire prone and fires will burn… but dear google…. do you really think this is the most worthy cause?

    Matt…it appears you have no idea how many people find the default google ads supporting hurricane victims offensive, as if this is the only cuase that default ads should raise funds for…. and likewise this will be seen as the same.

  14. Hi Matt, its great to see that G is behind something humanitarian. Before the fires we were thinking how nice it would be if all of the the area merchants supported the fireman year round, like we do.

    Miramar Fire Department is one we selected to support. They are a federal fire department, so while we can not donate directly to them, we can donate to charities on their behalf.

    I wont do the link drop thingy but we have a firefighter shirt that we sell year round, 10% of the sales go to their chosen charities. Do you know that in addition to Children’s Hospital that they also have a life long commitment to support muscular dystrophy until they find a cure?

  15. michell, I thought about the things you mention before posting, but decided to post anyway. Google has put up donation pages for international causes too. This is the tsunami page that Google put up in 2004, for example:
    http://www.google.com/tsunami_relief.html

    We also added a link to that donation page from Google’s home page. Like many employers, Google also has a gift matching program for employees who want to donate to charity. And Google.org specifically targets causes around the world as well, e.g. http://www.google.org/publichealth.html

    I know some folks who were affected by these fires, so I wanted to link to this page.

  16. OK, fair call… i figure you have the right to be Matt Cutts – person, as well as Matt Cutts, Google Engineer.

    Perhaps consider a wider recpient pool for the public service ads?

    Its pretty crass to be viewing sites in poor countries such as Malawi, which have massive humintarian problems…. and be getting help the poor US people ads as public service ads….

  17. And the tinfoils are back – Matt this bloke’s making threats in your earlier thread – http://www.mattcutts.com/blog/bugs-especially-international-bugs/

    I’d be keen to have his IP so that I can advise the authorities.

    doc

  18. dockarl, he’s banned now.

  19. Thanks Matt 🙂

    doc

  20. Michell:

    You’re basically bashing the US, WHILE asking a US company to help other countries instead of its own. How could that have felt like the right approach?

    Last I checked, Google is based in CA. See where there might be a closeness with their flaming neighbors? Call them “global” all you want, but that doesn’t make it feel any better when your backyard is on fire.

    Here’s a crazy thought: Donate YOUR money, YOUR time and YOUR websites to the causes you think are worthy, while the rest of the world does the same.

    Honestly, you strike me as someone that doesn’t do anything for anyone and just sits around and complains about what others are doing.

    I feel for those who lost their house, or lives. My country is also bushfire prone and fires will burn… but dear google…. do you really think this is the most worthy cause?

    I think I’ll go ahead and say that you *don’t* feel for them. If you do, that’s an odd way of showing it. Zero class.

    Matt…it appears you have no idea how many people find the default google ads supporting hurricane victims offensive, as if this is the only cuase that default ads should raise funds for…. and likewise this will be seen as the same.

    Offensive?! You’ve gotta be kidding me.

    Normally, I’d just skip over comments like this, but you didn’t say a single thing that didn’t come off completely ass-backwards.

  21. Matt,

    Funny how small the tech world is. I was volunteering this morning at the HQ where they coordinate the evacuation efforts & info. I was helping them improve their web infrastructure and overheard them saying that Qualcomm was helping with hosting and that Google was helping with metrics & site utilization info. As the owner of the Google Analytics Partner consultancy in San Diego (http://www.google.com/analytics/support_partner_provided.html), my ears perked up.

    I checked the page, and sure enough, Urchin tracking code was already installed and running. They have extensive metrics from the actual voice part of the call center, but until now not much info on how the website was being utilized. I’m setting up some time later to help them analyze the stats and they’re thrilled to have it.

    I was happy to volunteer for any task they needed (I’m a CERT member too), but it’s even better when you can put a specialized and needed skill to use.

    -Corey

    PS: Don’t sweat the anti-US comments–the same San Diegans that donated generously for the tsunami are now on the receiving end of a helping hand–karma works out that way.

  22. Michell,
    Your not a lone voice. I was thinking the exact same thing. For example, Greece had the worst fires this summer being the next largest disaster since WWII, entire villages left literally devastated. Very difficult for me to donate to California, when other countries are in more desperate need.

    -V

  23. Hey Matt,

    I flew out of Long Beach and felt the Santa Ana’s first hand. The dry hot winds that I felt were horrifying having experienced it first hand.

    I was speaking at a conference in Orange County and wasn’t fully aware of the disaster until getting out of the conference room, smelling the smoke and feeling the ashes in my eyes.

    I pray for the people throughout Southern California. I have MANY friends in the area and most are OK.

    When I say OK, they are all alive however some have lost their homes.

    Matt, there is bad stuff happening beyond the fires in California (I know the devastation caused by wildfires living in BC Canada first hand)

    I am now suffering the pain of seeing my father go through an aweful disease.

    Matt, you are an influential man and I pray that you listen to what I sent you via email.

    You CAN make a difference to many folks in pain. Life ain’t always about business. There is a greater purpose and those in a position of influence are the ones who will affect change.

    Rant over….

    Back to my new life’s mission of affecting change about how cancer research is conducted.

    Colin

  24. “as a result underspends on their domestic safety, eg, having enough equipment to fight fires, enough fire fighting dudes, ”

    The originator of this quote (not the poster above) was full of it and was using the fire as a political platform (disgusting). The statements above have since been debunked. There were 17,000 National Guardsman available to help fight the fires and waiting to be called and the military offered equipment that WAS available to help fight the fire.

    Best regards,

    Vic

  25. Looks like some other countries might need some donations as well as tropical storm moves in closer to Haiti/Bahamas. Hopefully it won’t reach Florida or other states. I was stuck on Cuba few years ago during a storm…really horrible experince. I just can’t believe some people have to deal with it every year!

  26. Matt,

    This is really great stuff. It is good to see a company like google once again step up to the plate. One of my employees had a sister that lost her house and I know he appreciates it. 🙂

  27. Kudos to you guys!

    I have family in Sunny Ego, and it’s much appreciated!

  28. re geotargeting .com’s to countries webmaster tool now alows this Vanessa fox mentioned it on her blog and on SEL

  29. “PS: Don’t sweat the anti-US comments–the same San Diegans that donated generously for the tsunami are now on the receiving end of a helping hand–karma works out that way.”

    Of all the countries that provided aid to the tsunami ravaged countries…. The USA provided one of the smallest amounts in total, and the 2nd smallest amount as a % of GDP after japan.

    Its not anti US sentiment Corey I’m just trying to put things into
    perspective. The US wildfires are a relatively small problem in terms of other current international disasters, and as the richest country in the world the US should have the most resources of any country to cope with them.

    Yes, Matt has a personal stake in THIS disaster thus his posting, and was not trying to place this disaster above others in international importance…. but as an international reader it still made me squirm a little

  30. I dont really have money to donate but my prayers are with them and i do have a nephew that had to evacuatre his home..

    thank you google for all your help 🙂

  31. That is great that Google is find ways to give back. Thanks for the page Matt.

  32. Hi Matt..

    I was over in California with my girlfriend last week. I found the conditions horrifying. One might have no idea how bad things have been if one relies on the European media.

    Some of the comments above particularly Michell’s are unwarranted, but not surprising. Pity some people can not seem to resist the temptation to sprinkle politics over their sentiments by referring to Iraq etc.

    We hope Californians get all the help they need.

    Best wishes from Ireland

  33. Thanks to Google for using their power for the good other Californians. I really think history will judge the big Goog for what it is, an amazing system for categorizing and making available the worlds information.

  34. I think it’s a great idea, and wish the big G will keep on doing such things.

css.php