Flood donations could hurt other charities, expert warns

The southern Alberta flood disaster last month has triggered an outpouring of generosity from people all over Canada, leading one expert to wonder if donations to other charities will dry up.

Peoples willingness to donate money has been good news for the relief agencies helping the recovery effort in Calgary and other affected communities.

But it could spell trouble for non-flood charities that rely on donations to operate, said volunteer advocacy group Propellus president and CEO Jamie Niessen.

"Clearly there's just been a tremendous amount of support for flood victims and so the question that charities will be looking to answer in the near term is, will they see reduced giving to their organizations,"he said.

At the Alzheimer Society, spokeswoman Jill Petrovic says staff are aware that donors may be distracted by the flood.

"We know that Calgarians need to give where it's most impacted right now, and that means companies like the Red Cross," she said.

Alzheimer Society officials said it's too early to tell if the flood will hurt donations over the long run. In the meantime, the organization is trying to help its clients who were displaced by the disaster.