New Mission Systems International Checks Out as an Excellent Place to Donate to Haitian Relief Efforts

Judging from the millions of dollars already raised for Haiti, people really empathize with and desire to help the victims of Haiti's devastating earthquake. Unfortunately, there are many unscrupulous people ready and waiting to take advantage of the generosity of others. How can you know your hard earned money will truly help the hurting Haitians and not just line the pockets of the opportunistic? Researching the organizations you are considering to see what their record of financial integrity and reputation as a charity has been, seeing what they say about themselves on their own website, or knowing someone who is affiliated with the group are three excellent, but time-consuming ways to be a good steward of your charitable donations. Fortunately I know of one organization personally, am familiar with their stated goals and actual accomplishments, and have researched them thoroughly through watchdog groups that monitor charities. That group is New Mission Systems International based in Fort Myers, Florida.

New Mission Systems International (NMSI) sends out 200 missionaries to 28 countries, including Haiti. My son works at the Center for Global Outreach in Fort Myers, and is happy to report that all of the Haitian missionaries are accounted for. I personally know many of the field missionaries, as well as the ones in country that work to support the field missionaries, such as my son. This is a group with a proven track record all over the world; as for Haiti itself, NMSI has people on the ground that know the area, the needs, and the people. They also have a distribution system that is already in place so that they can get the supplies out quickly when they arrive. New Mission Systems International has a website at http://nmsi.org/ that gives more information about this group, including some of the ongoing efforts to help the Haitian people.

Also on the website is a letter posted January 15, 2010 by CEO Tim Dammon explaining what was being done immediately in Haiti, as follows:

"In the wake of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, New Mission Systems International is joining the global missions community in responding with an outpouring of aid and assistance. Today, NMSI leadership met to define a multi-phase response to the crisis.

First, funds will be made available to our NMSI missionaries in Haiti to provide for their own welfare and that of their families. Our financial system is designed so that money given through NMSI can be accessed immediately on the ground in Haiti by our missionaries using their ATM cards.

Second, NMSI will devote funds to the broader immediate relief needs in Haiti both through our own missionaries and also through strategic partnerships with other ministries whose mission to live out the Gospel of Jesus is consistent with our own. We can't expect our Haitian national team to be responsible for a large relief effort while they are in such a state of shock and concern for their own safety and that of their families. NMSI's relationships within the mission world provide many partners through whom we can invest funds given through NMSI for Haiti's relief.

Third, NMSI is developing a longer term plan for restoration and recovery once the immediate relief situation is stabilized. The extent of the devastation is so deep and broad that it doesn't make sense for churches or individuals to consider travel to Haiti immediately, as much as their hearts may be drawing them there. This is a situation which requires the largest of relief organizations including the United Nations, the Red Cross, and even the efforts of entire nations to respond.

However, once the immediate needs are being addressed and some stability has been restored, there will be great opportunity for Christians in the United States and around the world to participate in the restoration of that nation through building projects, development projects, etc. NMSI will be well positioned to use the financial resources given by individual and church partners as well as to facilitate the active participation of churches and other teams in the restoration effort to come.

So, as you can see, you can have an immediate and lasting impact on the relief and restoration of Haiti by giving through New Mission Systems International. Please visit the NMSI website at http://nmsi.org/donate.aspx to donate."

Besides what NMSI says about themselves on their own website, they are also highly regarded among watchdog groups, such as Charity Navigators (http://www.charitynavigator.org/), and Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) - (http://www.ecfa.org/HomePage.aspx).

New Mission Systems International consistently gets a four star rating out of four available from Charity Navigators. Their profile page is shown here: http://www.ecfa.org/MemberProfile.aspx?ID=18243 and the ratings page is here: Rating: http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=10203. These show that New Mission Systems International uses the bulk of funds raised, more than 82%, to help the individuals in need. Only 6.3% goes toward fund-raising, and slightly over 11% goes towards administrative costs.

The Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA), an accreditation agency "dedicated to helping Christian ministries earn the public's trust through adherence to Seven Standards of Responsible Stewardship TM" since 1979, provides accreditation to Christian nonprofit organizations that consistently show integrity in financial accountability and transparency, fund-raising, board governance, and the proper use of charity resources, likewise gives NMSI high ratings (http://www.ecfa.org/MemberProfile.aspx?ID=18243).

If you are interested in donating to New Mission Systems International so that you'll know your money will be going to help Haitians in need due to the earthquake, feel free to visit the donation page linked here: http://nmsi.org/donate.aspx or you can mail a check marked "Haiti Relief" to New Mission Systems International, P.O. Box 547,
Fort Myers, FL 33902.

Resources: Personal experience

Charity Navigators (http://www.charitynavigator.org/)

Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) - (http://www.ecfa.org/HomePage.aspx)

New Mission Systems, International (http://nmsi.org/)