The SIFE organization in Japan is in a desperate struggle to survive following the massive earthquake and tsunami that struck their country on March 11th and they need our help.

The economy has been deeply shaken and the businesses they had relied on for funding are being forced to divert resources to repair damaged facilities, compensate for lost production and support the immediate humanitarian needs. Beyond the challenges of trying to maintain basic operations in a disaster environment, SIFE Japan is facing an immediate financial crisis. Without help, they will not have the resources to make it through the end of the year.

Our hearts go out to the entire country of Japan. While the scale of devastation witnessed through this disaster can make it hard to relate or comprehend in personal and human terms, each of us shares a direct connection to this tragedy through our involvement with SIFE and association with the board, staff, faculty, donors and students of SIFE Japan. These are our colleagues, our partners and our friends. They need our help and no one else is in a position to provide it, nor should they be expected to given the overwhelming needs facing this devastated population.

The members of SIFE Japan have suffered terrible losses and we don't pretend that we can make their lives whole again or fix for them everything that has been broken. What we can do is keep them from losing even more. We can help them sustain the organization they love and have devoted so much of themselves to. In doing so, we can create a sense of stability in the midst of such terrible chaos and the strength that comes from knowing they're not alone, but rather part of a larger family – the SIFE family, who shares in their struggles and are willing to provide support during a time of need.

We have launched a global fundraising campaign to save SIFE Japan that will run through mid-May. Our goal is to raise enough money to cover their basic operating and programmatic needs for the next year and a half. One hundred percent of the contributions will be go to SIFE Japan and none of the funds will be used for any World Headquarters' related expense. If we're able to raise enough, we'll also explore developing a special initiative or competition to provide the SIFE teams in Japan with a structured opportunity to develop projects in support of the recovery process.