As one of the largest humanitarian donors, the US holds a position of leadership and influence to help vulnerable communities worldwide
In October 2011, DARA obtained 501(c)(3) status in the US as a non-profit organization.This was an important step forward and will allow us to build on our extensive engagement with government and humanitarian actors in the United States over the past five years, and better work toward our mission of improving the quality and impact of aid efforts.
As one of the largest humanitarian donors, the United States plays a leadership role in the response to major disasters and conflicts around the world. With our US presence, DARA hopes to share our knowledge and expertise on how the US government, aid organizations and civil society can maximize aid resources for the benefit of people at risk of disasters, conflicts and climate change.
Stay tuned for updates on our activities in the US in the coming months.
Skills Development Workshop at ALNAP Annual Meeting: Evidence & Knowledge in Humanitarian Action, Washington, DC, March
Meeting of the US Board, Washington, DC, March
DARA meets OFDA and PRM as part of a wide consultation process on the lessons learned in the Humanitarian Response Index and how the US can improve its donor policies and practices, May
Presentation and panel discussion by DARA on the Humanitarian Response Index 2011 findings- Addressing the Gender Challenge- at the US Institute of Peace, American University to promote effectiveness of US foreign assistance, May
DARA and Humanitarian Response Index presented at IASC and InterAction joint meeting. Attendees included representatives from OCHA, WFP, UNHCR, Habitat, Concern, Refugees International and International Rescue Committee
Global launch of the Climate Vulnerability Monitor 2nd Edition: A Guide to the Cold Calculus of a Hot Planet at Asia Society, New York, September
DARA Director General at the Clinton Global Initiative 2012 Annual Meeting to provide contextual overview during the session “Democratic Republic of the Congo: Highlighting Action,” New York
DARA and the Center for Global Development (CGD) organized a roundtable discussion to increase understanding of climate vulnerability indices and their use in allocating finance, Washington, DC, October
Meeting of the US Board to revise bylaws and expand board membership, May
DARA invited by the Center for Strategic International Studies (CSIS) to present the Humanitarian Response Index 2010 findings on the increasing politicization of aid, including recommendations and implications for the US, May
501(c)(3) status obtained allowing us to scale-up our US outreach and work with partners, October
Side meetings to discuss the HRI findings held with staff from the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee and the House Oversight Committee, as well as with USAID and State Department officials, May and November
DARA also briefed the Modernizing Foreign Assistance Network (MFAN) on the Humanitarian Response Index 2010 findings and the US as a humanitarian donor. Similar briefings were held with InterAction, the American Red Cross and other NGOs, May and November
Presentation of DARA’s groundbreaking Climate Vulnerability Monitor 2010– The State of the Climate Crisis report, comparing current and future climate vulnerabilities and impacts on human populations, at high-level side meeting in New York, parallel to UN General Assembly, September
The report is adopted as the Climate Vulnerable Forum’s (CVF) main working tool. The CVF convenes governments from Africa, Asia, the Americas, and the Pacific, representing some of the countries most vulnerable to the adverse impacts of climate change
DARA begins process of registering as a charitable organization in the US by constituting a US Board with founding prominent members of the US aid and business community
The aim of DARA US is to help US government, aid organizations and civil society increase the impact of US aid efforts and resources for the benefit of vulnerable populations worldwide
Partnership agreement signed with Yale University for undergraduates to undertake internships with DARA
DARA invited to attend the Hilton Humanitarian Prize ceremony, September
DARA’s Humanitarian Response Index featured at the Clinton Global Initiative as one of four outstanding commitments for its contribution to better humanitarian donorship, September
Brookings hosts the launch of the Humanitarian Response Index 2009 Whose Crisis? Clarifying Donor’s Priorities to a wide audience of leading NGOs, government agencies and World Bank members, November
DARA presents preliminary findings of the Humanitarian Response Index 2008 Donor Accountability in Humanitarian Action at the Clinton Global Initiative Meeting, September
Launch of the HRI 2008 report in New York. The report reveals that the world’s wealthiest
countries do not comply with best practices for humanitarian aid, leaving millions without vital assistance, November
Other presentations and briefings are made to national and international press, as well as to the American Evaluation Association (AEA), November
Participation in Disaster Relief and Preparedness presentation at the 2nd Transatlantic Dialogue on Humanitarian Action, December
DARA launches a five-year commitment to develop and implement the Humanitarian Response Index (HRI) at the Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, September
The HRI aims to improve the accountability, transparency and impact of foreign assistance and humanitarian aid provided by the world’s wealthiest governments,
including the US
The HRI does this through extensive field research and interviews with senior aid officials in crisis countries, and policy reviews
