Donor Fatigue Induced by Onslaught of Disasters?

Are we experiencing donor fatigue with disaster giving? Are people giving less money to disasters because they’ve given all they can or want to give? When is too much too much?

Those are questions a number of reporters have posed to me this past week in the aftermath of Harvey and Irma, and possibly soon to be followed by Jose and Katia.

It would appear from the usual signs that fundraising by nonprofit disaster responders has been robust and on par with similar previous disasters. We also know from previous experience that around-the-clock media coverage for multiple days—like we have had for Hurricanes Harvey and Irma—is usually one of the most effective stimulants for successful disaster fundraising.

However, I wonder if there’s another aspect to the donor fatigue issue and that is a sense of weariness or mental fatigue with disasters. It has been a traumatic week: four hurricanes, two at near maximum strength, out of control wildfires, and a powerful earthquake. Catastrophic weather—especially hurricanes which take days and days before they strike land—have become America’s reality television obsession.

Read the source article at Center for Disaster Philanthropy