Update: news & links

[hesselives]

[Last updated: 4/7, 23:30 CST]: This post will be updated continuously. Thank you to all who have helped to contribute links and suggestions. And thank you to those who have sent us v-gifts! You are wonderful. ♥

ALERT REGARDING DONATIONS: We have been asked by several people whether or not the donations made to the funds listed below are actually being accepted by Japan yet. The current status is: Japan has not yet officially asked for aid. Several organizations have teams already on the ground in the region, but the government has yet to officially sanction international donations. You may still donate to your preferred charities. However, if you'd rather err on the side of caution, you can either refrain from making donations at the moment, or contact your preferred charity directly for further information. Please do let us know if you spot any news updates that provide more details. And feel free to PM the mods or leave a comment to let us know of any further concerns you may have. Thank you!

CORPORATE DONATION MATCHING: For those who are employed, it's possible that your company/institution will match your donation up to a certain amount, so please do inquire and see if you can maximize your impact! :) If there is a matching program, and you wish for us to log both amounts (versus the original donation amount), please also provide a receipt from your company/institution.

NOTE REGARDING RELIGIOUS AFFILIATION: The term "religious charity" is not meant to denote said charities as operating (at least, not solely) on a religious basis. It is meant only as an indicator for those who prefer making (or not making) donations to such organizations, which offer support and assistance without bias towards race, religion, or creed.

DONATE VIA LIVEJOURNAL

Help Japan v-gift (2.99 USD each) & Japanese custom-userheads (1.99 USD each).

[3/17] Livejournal announced that it will donate proceeds from the sale of Help_Japan v-gifts and Japanese custom-userheads to Doctors Without Borders. Livejournal will be covering all processing fees.




SUPPORT VIA ITUNES & TUMBLR & TWITTER

• 1,000 Cranes for Tsunami Relief: Donate 5 USD and receive a clay crane charm. Donate 10 USD and receive the charm + a personalized thank you letter disguised inside a paper crane. More information here.
• Apple iTunes is allowing donations to be made via the iTunes Store. 100% of all donations are being sent to the American Red Cross. More information here.
• Bing: Donating 1 USD per retweet, up to 100,000 USD, to Japan quake victims. More information here. (3/13: Techflash reports: Microsoft apologized for using the earthquake as a means to market Bing. It has since donated 100,000 USD without the previous retweet stipulation.)
• viaSQUARED: Donating 0.01 USD for every reblog, 0.01 USD for every like, and 0.05 USD for every new follower. All proceeds go to the American Red Cross. More information here.

DONATE VIA TEXTING

• The American National Red Cross: Text REDCROSS to 90999 to donate 10 USD to its Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami relief fund. Message and data rates may apply. More information here.
• The Canadian Red Cross: Text ASIA to 30333 to donate 5 USD to its Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami relief fund. More information here.
• Convoy of Hope (religious charity): Text TSUNAMI to 50555 to donate 10 USD to Convoy of Hope’s Disaster Response efforts. More information here.
• The International Medical Corps: Text MED to 80888 to donate 10 USD to its relief fund. More information here.
• Operation Blessing International (religious charity): Text BLESS to 50555 to give 5 USD to OBI for Disaster Relief. More information here.
• The Salvation Army (religious charity) provided immediate response with its on-site units: Text JAPAN or QUAKE to 80888 to donate 10 USD to its relief fund. More information here.
• World Vision: Text 4JAPAN to 20222 to donate 10 USD to its Japan relief fund. More information here.

DONATE TO VETTED FUNDS [Listed in alphabetical order.]

Note: We recommend donating to aggregate funds, such as Network for Good, Charity Navigator, and Paypal, so that your donation may be sent via more secure channels. There is also a beta program run by Pikimal that lets you find a Japanese tsunami/earthquake relief charity that best fits your criteria.

• Action: Germany Helps (Aktion Deutschland Hilft) has set up an Earthquake/Tsunami Japan relief fund. Website in German and English.
• The American Humane Association has set up an Animal Emergency fund for animals in need in Japan.
• The American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee (religious charity) has set up a Japan Emergency Relief fund.
• The American National Red Cross has set up this fund at causes.com: Help Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami Victims. (Over 294,000 USD raised so far.)
• AmeriCares is mobilizing its resources and dispatching relief experts to Japan. Donations are currently being accepted here (at the bottom of the page).
• Animal Refuge Kansai is sheltering as many earthquake/tsunami-affected animals as possible and is accepting donations via PayPal here.
• The Australian Red Cross has set up a Japan and Pacific Disaster Appeal 2011 fund. The ARC will not deduct more than 10% of any donation for an international appeal to cover appeal and administration costs.
• Brigada de Rescate Topos Tlaltelolco A.C. (rescue organization from Mexico) has set up a relief fund. News on how they are helping in Japan here. Please be aware that both websites are in Spanish.
• The British Red Cross has set up a Japan Tsunami Appeal fund. The Japanese Red Cross has agreed to accept donations from donors in the UK.
• The Canadian Red Cross has set up a Japan Earthquake/Asia-Pacific Tsunami relief fund.
• Charity Navigator provides a current list of charities providing relief to Japan.
• Children Without Borders (Kokkyo naki Kodomotachi -- KnK) has set up a relief fund. Please be aware that the website is in Japanese.
• Convoy of Hope (religious charity) is currently monitoring and making preparations. More information and donation link provided here.
• Crunchyroll, a licensed video streaming site, has set up a Japan Earthquake Donation Fund and is matching donations up to 5,000 USD. Deadline to make donations there is Saturday, March 26th.
• Direct Relief International has set up a Japan Earthquake and Tsunami fund.
• Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is sending two three-person teams to the Iwate and Miyagi prefectures in Japan. More information on its efforts and how to donate: here.
• First Giving has set up a Japan Disaster Relief Fund.
• Global Giving has set up a Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund. (Over 2,911,000 USD raised so far.)
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has set up a Japan: earthquake and tsunami fund. Only credit-card donations are currently being accepted. All donations are forwarded to the Japanese Red Cross Society.
• The International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) is helping Japan's earthquake and tsunami animal victims. Donations can be made here.


• The International Medical Corps is responding and putting together relief teams. They are accepting Japan earthquake/tsunami-specific donations here.
• The International Rescue Committee is currently on standby alert. Information on how to make general donations here.
• Islamic Relief UK (religious charity) has set up a Japan Tsunami appeal here.
• The Japan America Society of Hawaii has set up a Japan Earthquake Relief fund.
• Japan Cat Network is collaborating with no-kill animal organizations (HEART-Tokushima and Animal Friends Niigata) to provide aid to animals affected by the earthquake and tsunami. The joint effort, Japan Earthquake Animal Rescue and Support is currently accepting donations here and Japan Cat Network is accepting donations via bank transfer here.
• The Japan Center for International Exchange (JCIE/USA) has set up a Japan NGO Earthquake Relief and Recovery Fund, which raises funds for Japanese organizations providing immediate, on-ground disaster relief. Orgs include: Association for Aid and Relief, Japan (AAR); Association of Medical Doctors in Asia (AMDA); Japan Platform (coalition of 32 humanitarian NGOs); JEN (child-focused NGO); Nippon International Cooperation for Community Development (NICCO); and PeaceWinds Japan.
• Japan Emergency Network has set up a Tohoku Earthquake relief fund. Please be aware that donations are made in Japanese yen.
• Japan Society of New York has set up a Japan Earthquake Relief Fund.
• The Japanese Organization for International Cooperation in Family Planning (JOICFP) has set up a relief fund, with particular focus on women, mothers, and children.
• The Japanese Red Cross Society has set up a Japan Earthquake and Tsunami fund, to which you can donate via bank transfer or Paypal. Please do request an official receipt per its instructions.
• Just Giving UK has set up a Japan Earthquake and Tsunami fund. All donations will be given to the Civic Force emergency response team.
• Living Social is matching donations (every 5 USD) to the American Red Cross here. Deadline for donations is Monday, March 21st.
• Mayor's Fund to Advance New York City is currently accepting Japan earthquake/tsunami-specific donations, 100% of which will be allocated to disaster relief efforts.
• Mercy Corps is gathering donations for its overseas partner, Peace Winds in Japan, which currently has personnel on the ground distributing emergency relief.
• Network For Good has set up a Help Survivors of Japan Quake & Tsunami fund that will forward donations to any charities on its compiled list. Currently-responding charities include: American Red Cross, Americares, Global Giving, Oxfam USA, and Save the Children.
• The Nippon Foundation has set up a Northeastern Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief Fund. Please be aware that donations are made in Japanese yen.
• The Nippon SPCA has set up a Earthquake damage animal and shelter fund and is currently accepting donations via PayPal or bank transfer here. Please be aware that the website is in Japanese.
• Operation Blessing International (religious charity) is partnering with Humedica to dispatch an emergency medical team. They are accepting Japan earthquake/tsunami-specific donations here.
• Operation USA is gathering monetary donations and bulk corporate donations of medical supplies to aid Japan.
• Oxfam Japan has set up an emergency appeal for earthquake in northern Japan.
• Paypal has set up a Japan Earthquake and Tsunami Relief fund, where you can donate via Paypal to the following organizations: American Red Cross, AmeriCares, Hands On Tokyo, Global Giving, Operation Blessing International, Salvation Army, Save the Children, and World Vision.
• Peace Winds has set up emergency relief funds. Donations are being accepted by both its Japan branch and American branch.
• Plan UK, a child-focused development organization, has prepared emergency response teams to be deployed to Japan. It has launched a Japan appeal and is currently accepting donations here.
• Samaritan's Purse (religious charity) has set up a Japan Relief fund.
• Save the Children has set up a Children's Emergency Fund. Australian website here.
• Second Harvest Japan has set up a Japan Disaster Relief Flood Drive, to which you can donate via mail: allergen-free food, daily necessities (such as portable gas stoves, batteries, flashlights), pet food, etc. (You would have to cover shipping expenses.)
• Shanti Volunteer Association has set up a Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami fund. Please be aware that the website is primarily in Japanese.
• The ShelterBox Response Team is already en route to Japan. General donations are currently accepted here (Canada), here (UK), & here (US). (If you are making a personal donation as a UK taxpayer, the Government will match at least 25% extra.)
• UNICEF has set up a Japan earthquake and tsunami relief fund.
• World Vets has set up a Japan Animal Disaster Relief fund and is currently accepting donations here.
• World Vision is prepared to deploy members to affected areas. They are accepting donations here.

NEWS & APPLICATIONS

• Continuously updated compilation of news & images: here by far_to_nowhere
• [4/7] MSNBC reports: Japan was rattled by a strong aftershock of 7.4-magnitude and it struck off Japan's eastern coast about 60 miles from Sendai and 90 miles from Fukushima. The Japan meteorological agency issued a tsunami warning for a wave of up to one meter (3.2 feet). According to NHK, Tokyo Electric (TEPCO) says there are no additional problems at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant. Hundreds of aftershocks have shaken the northeast region devastated by the March 11 earthquake, but few have been stronger than 7.0.
• [3/29] Japan Today reports: PM Kan is exploring the possibility of crafting a 2 trillion to 3 trillion yen extra budget in fiscal 2011 to help reconstruct severely affected areas. He will try to draw up the first supplementary budget by the end of April. He also suggested a possible tax hike as the government struggles to secure funds for the budgets.
• [3/20] Washington Post reports: According to officials involved in the decision-making last week, the Kan administration moved too slowly to seize authority at a deteriorating nuclear plant operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co. It also struggled early in the crisis to provide data to Washington about emerging radiation risks, creating tension between the allies even as their militaries cooperated on the ground. Kan waited four days into the nuclear emergency at Fukushima Daiichi before creating a joint headquarters for the government and Tepco, bringing the utility company under de facto national control. Political analysts note that even the most functional government would have struggled to deal with the series of tragedies and emergencies that began March 11. About 1,000 protesters marched through Tokyo on Sunday afternoon calling for Japan to “Get Kan Out,” with chants that mentioned the uprising in Egypt.
• [3/18] Yoimuri Shinbun reports: Criticism of the government's ineffectual provision of aid is growing as hundreds of thousands of evacuees wait for supplies to arrive six days after the earthquake. Prime Minister Kan seems to have his hands full with dealing with the nuclear reactor explosions. The Self-Defense Forces will control the shipment of aid, Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa said. Supplies from around the nation will be collected at the Air Self-Defense Force's Matsushima Air Base in Matsushima, Miyagi Prefecture, and other bases near the disaster area. A leadership team of a local support unit stationed with the Ground Self-Defense Force's Northeastern Army in Sendai will divide the supplies and transport them to shelters, Kitazawa said.
• [3/18] VOA reports: Japanese Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, told his nation that together they would "create Japan once again from scratch." On Friday, Japan held a moment of silence for the more than 6,400 people who perished. There are an estimated 10,000 missing. Conditions are deteriorating in shelters across the country's northeast, where more than 300,000 are taking refuge. 25 people, most of them elderly and bedridden, have died in the shelters. Survivors are battling the cold weather and some areas have almost run out of food. Fuel shortages, power outages, and freezing weather have slowed relief efforts. Japan's Red Cross says hospitals and evacuation centers are running out of medical supplies.
• [3/15] NY Times reports: Few charitable organizations are actually at work in Japan yet. Reports filed by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs show that the Japanese government so far has accepted help from only 15 of the 102 countries that have volunteered aid, and from small teams with special expertise from a handful of nonprofit groups.
• [3/13, 8:30 EST] Washington Post reports: Live updates, day three. Current stats: 2,000 dead or unaccounted for. (Number may reach 10,000.) More than 12,000 rescued. More than 450,000 evacuated from around Fukushima nuclear power plant. 19 exposed to radiation from the plant. 70% chance of level 7 quake in the next three days.
• [3/13] NY Times reports: The Japanese Meteorological Agency upgraded the quake’s magnitude from 8.8 to 9.0, an effective doubling of its recorded power.
• [3/13] LA Times reports: Japanese Prime Minister, Naoto Kan, stated that Japan is facing its toughest crisis since WWII and called for his country's people to unite.
• [3/12] BBC reports: Huge blast at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant (in Fukushima prefecture). Whether a partial meltdown is under way is not certain. The only release of any radioactive material known so far concerns venting of the containment vessel. Tokyo Electric Power Company states that it is in "subcritical" condition.
• [3/11] Reuters reports: Japan has requested a limited number of foreign search and rescue teams to help with the aftermath of its major earthquake and tsunami, the United Nations said Friday. More than 68 search and rescue teams from 45 countries have offered aid to Japan. Japan has requested the help of a handful of them -- at least four teams from Australia, New Zealand, South Korea, and the United States. Names and details have not been released. Separately, the International Committee of the Red Cross is working closely with the Japanese Red Cross.
• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has issued this news update: Red Cross responds to massive earthquake: region alert
• BBC live news feed
• The Guardian: related articles
• NHK World: related articles (available in multiple languages)
• Judy Chang, head of PayPal's nonprofit group, announced that transactional fees incurred by money transfers to US 501(c)(3) organizations (or charities registered with the Canada Revenue Agency) between March 11 and April 10 will aid relief efforts in Japan.
• The International Committee of the Red Cross has set up a Family Links website to help people re-establish contact with family members and friends in Japan.
• For those who have friends and family in the immediate affected region, Google has set up an application to help track and find them: Person Finder: 2011 Japan Earthquake
  
  by that_evening:
  
  
  Find missing loved ones in Japan
  
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  http://japan.person-finder.appspot.com/">Find missing loved ones in Japan
• Google has also set up a crisis response page, which includes local resources and emergency information.

Please do let us know of any more vetted organizations (and whether or not they accept international donations), further news updates, and any comments/suggestions regarding the betterment of this community's support network and efficiency.