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Social Media Raises $20+ Million For Haiti

Last week’s earthquake in Haiti is still a major shock to the world.  Last week, I shared with you, how the social media world has stepped up to help the victims in Haiti. 

The Red Cross, used their Twitter account to try to help raise money, by announcing that whoever texted “HAITI” to 90999 would be charged $10 on their next phone bill which would go to the relief in Haiti.  The Red Cross’s original goal was to raise $200,000 and then soon decided to go for the one million dollar mark.  In last Friday’s Social Media News Brief, we had announced they had raised over $8 million, just in text messages alone. 

Sunday evening, Kate Stanton, a staffer from the Office of Innovation at the State Department working closely with the Red Cross, announced via Twitter that Amercian’s have crossed the $20 million mark.  $20,000,000!!!  That’s a significant number.  Take in the fact that the average Haitian worker makes about $1,300 a year, while the average American makes 36 and a half times more at $47,500 a year.  Also note, that less than a third of the population actually has a job in Haiti.  So that $20,000,000+ is going to go so far.

Donations are still pouring in and the Red Cross is not the only social media site promoting helping donate to the victims in Haiti.  Facebook, Twitter, & Google, have all created lists and ways that you can help.