Crowdfunding Earthquake Relief Efforts in Nepal

Many are looking for ways to help the people in Nepal who have been impacted by last weekend’s devastating earthquake.

Pictures like the ones below show the extent of the damage and are stark indicators of how much it’s going to take to recover and rebuild. The loss of life is staggering and tragic. The destruction to UNESCO World Heritage sites is heartbreaking.

My wife and I went to Nepal as part of a trip we took for our honeymoon in 2012. Wandering the streets of Kathmandu and Bhaktapur were the highlights of the trip. It was like getting lost in another world. Full of history, bursting with color, and constantly surprising, with intricate, beautiful details everywhere you took the time to look.

These historic temples and others like them were part of the iconic and communal centers at the heart of the cities. More than just architecture, they were part of their identity. Now they’re gone.

Maju Deval Temple in Kathmandu’s Durbar Square (photo taken during our 2012 trip)

The same temple in ruins after the 2015 earthquake (photo by Domenico)

So much was lost. People are without basic needs like clean drinking water and shelter. Rescue efforts are still ongoing. Looking at the images of the destruction it’s hard to imagine where to even begin.

One small place to start is by donating to relief efforts.

There are the usual options of giving to global relief organizations like UNICEF and the Red Cross. Then, as Fred Wilson points out, there are also new crowdfunding options like CrowdRise, which allow you to target your giving by donating to specific campaigns. All of the Nepal relief efforts on CrowdRise can be seen here.

A big thank you to Fred Wilson for the nudge towards CrowdRise. OpenView supports these initiatives, and we hope you’ll also consider contributing to any of the relief efforts and helping to spread the word.