Apple allows users to donate to Haitian Earthquake Relief through iTunes

7:17 am, January 15th, 2010, John Brownlee

At 4:53pm on Tuesday, Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince was struck by a catastrophic magnitude 7.0 M_w earthquake that essentially vaporized the entire city. Casualty estimates are still unknown, but with the earliest guesses ranging anywhere from 30,000 to 100,000 dead, it is clear that only international effort is going to be able to cope with the aftermath’s sheer scope of human suffering.

To that end, Apple has figured out a smart way to leverage their existing iTunes infrastructure to easily allow users to donate money to the American Red Cross for Haitian Earthquake Relief. Just decide how much you can afford to give — denominations of $5, $10, $25, $50, $100, and $200 are supported — and click the donate button. The money will automatically be deducted from your credit card and sent on to the Red Cross, with no margin to Apple.

It’s a nice gesture on Apple’s part, but you may want to donate directly to the Red Cross, since Apple warns that since iTunes does not share personal information with external companies. From a purely practical perspective, that means the Red Cross can’t acknowledge the donation… and you can’t deduct it.

However you decided to donate, give what you can. Haiti’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.

Posted by John Brownlee in News, iTunes | Comment on this article

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About the author

John Brownlee has written about a lot of things for a lot of different places, including Wired, Playboy, Boing Boing, Popular Mechanics, Gizmodo, Kotaku, Lifehacker, AMC, Geek and the Consumerist. He lives in Berlin with a charming girlfriend against whom he is currently enjoying a thirteen game cribbage winning streak, and a tiny budgerigar punningly christened after Nabokov's most famous pervert. You can follow him here on Twitter.

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10 comments

I assume there is no 30% Apple-tax for these donations (as with other things you ‘buy’ via iTunes)?

CJL, on January 15th, 2010 at 9:15 am

(ps. yes, that was a joke )

CJL, on January 15th, 2010 at 9:44 am

Apple = thumbs up

Rush Limbaugh = thumbs down

** Search recent news as to why Rush’s latest insensitive comments are taking the heat regarding Haiti.

Mattzook, on January 15th, 2010 at 10:24 am

P.S. thanks for the news Cult of Mac. If I hadn’t realized about the Red Cross donation via the iTunes Store, I might have put off any inclination to donate. It is a super-super simple process to donate via the iTunes Store. Very convenient. It’s just as simple as making any other iTunes purchase.

And because Apple funnels the money directly to the American Red Cross, you get the satisfaction that your donation will be put to good use. There are surely dozens of other “charities” which are corrupt with graft and will suck out your donations before any of it reaches Haiti. The American Red Cross has a solid reputation.

Best of all….. the iTunes Red Cross Donation is probably the best way to get young Americans to donate to a good cause.

Mattzook, on January 15th, 2010 at 11:58 am

I really think Apple could do much better, as this seems like an afterthought on their part. I made donations two days ago, but I’d certainly be willing to make another one this way IF APPLE WOULD OFFER TO MATCH THE DONATION. God knows they can afford it, while I’m by no means flush. Hell, show you’re run by carbon-based life-forms for once. THAT would encourage people more than just being a convenient stop while they shop on iTunes.

Mezzrow, on January 15th, 2010 at 2:20 pm

If you’re planning on donating to the relief effort via Wyclef Jean’s organization, please research the information on that organization, in particular via the Smoking Gun website.

The Red Cross has experience in coordinating major disaster relief efforts where access is difficult and can put more of your donation to work actually helping people.

FeralFreq, on January 15th, 2010 at 6:08 pm

I know that $5 isn’t that much and I’ve donated more than this already, but if there were a $2 option, I think that a lot more people would be willing to donate.

Nathan, on January 15th, 2010 at 9:51 pm

Donate to Haiti thru Apple DO NOT DONATE TO HAITI THRU DELL..

Michael Dell of Dell Inc is the major investor in OneWest Bank which is forclosing on American homeowners by the thousands…

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2605429/do_not_donate_to_haiti_thru_dell_inc.html?cat=3

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2609977/report_release_by_us_treasury_department.html?cat=3

MrsMonEPenny, on January 21st, 2010 at 8:35 am

great partnership!

Haiti Solar Energy, on January 27th, 2010 at 9:33 am

Apple hasn’t donated a dime of their own money. How bunk. Even Microsoft donated $1.25 million: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/15/haiti-relief-corporate-do_n_424710.html

Rachael, on February 10th, 2010 at 2:50 pm