Typhoon Haiyan that recently rocked the Philippines is quite possibly the worst storm ever recorded. The super storm has killed thousands of people and counting and nearly a million people have been displaced. Food and drinkable water is scare and people are truly in need of help.

After recent natural disasters money has been collected so seamlessly with the help of the digital age and the internet. Will we see a similar reaction by people all around the world? Most likely we will.

According to an article, some of the easiest and direct ways to donate money to the disaster is via phone. “You can send the World Food Programme $10 by texting the word AID to 27722. The Salvation Army is TYPHOON to 80888. The International Medical Corps is MED, also at 80888.” Money can be collected more efficiently and areas impacted can be aided sooner.

“Digital philanthropy” has changed the game for the better.

If you were to Google keywords such as philippines and aid you will see a number of results honing in on relief efforts. Apple has even stepped in to help with a way to donate via the iTunes store.

We are starting to see the digital age transcend more generations far rapidly. With news being spread instantaneously via the web, people pick up on what is current in their network and respond accordingly. Social media isn’t just for those who are young and it is almost impossible to ignore. So much information is shared so rapidly, which can cause more impulse decisions. Why not feed into those impulses, like donating money after such a terrible tragedy. We see things on the news, go to the web, find out more information and act. It is a great thing, especially for philanthropy, as we now can help people far more faster.