The Chicago-based John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation has awarded $1.5 million to CARE International to be used for disaster relief and reconstruction related to the earthquake and tsunami in South Asia, as well as for work in regions of Africa where disasters caused by humans continue to exact an enormous toll.

"The earthquake and tsunami remind us of the power of nature, the fragility of life, and, in the days since, of the caring and generous nature of people throughout the world," said MacArthur Foundation president Jonathan F. Fanton. "We think it is important to recognize, however, that catastrophic loss of life is also caused by human action and inaction. So the funds we provide will also be used to help address needs in the Darfur region of Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo."

Elsewhere, a group of foundations in western Pennsylvania have gone beyond their customary regional grantmaking and announced emergency grants for tsunami relief totaling $1.8 million. "Today, with this extraordinary outpouring from our member foundations, Western Pennsylvanians can truly understand the world as a global village where neighbors are able to reach across continents to help neighbors in dire need," said Judith Donaldson, executive director of Grantmakers of Western Pennsylvania. The grants include $500,000 from the Richard King Mellon Foundation to Direct Relief International in Santa Barbara, California; and $400,000 from the Heinz Endowments to the Pittsburgh-based Brother's Brother Foundation, an international aid agency.

Meanwhile, the Clinton Foundation and UNICEF have announced the Tsunami Water and Sanitation Fund, a joint initiative to bring safe drinking water and sanitation systems to families affected by the disaster and help prevent the spread of water-borne diseases. The fund will enable UNICEF to expand its provision of safe water and will finance the construction of emergency latrines and the rehabilitation of urban and rural water supplies. "The tsunami has shown us how water can take lives," said UNICEF executive director Carol Bellamy. "This initiative will demonstrate how water can save lives."

And in a move that appears to have little precedent, Harvard University has announced that it will match donations for tsunami relief up to $100 per person from its roughly 20,000 students and almost 15,000 employees, including any contributions made prior to the announcement. An outpouring of contributions from the Harvard community could potentially produce a seven-figure contribution from the university, which has released a list of twenty-six charities for which it will match donations. A Web site has been established to coordinate the effort.