I cringed when I read the news of U.S. Senator Chuck Grassleys scathing report based on a year-long investigation into the Red Crosss handling of the Haiti earthquake response.

Not only did the mishandling of the situation mean that thousands of Haitians in need didnt get assistance, the Red Crosss actions add fuel to the fire for those skeptical of the international development sector. And I dont blame the skepticsits easy to get cynical about philanthropy when you see such inefficiencies and lack of transparency.

While there are plenty of things to criticize about the Red Crosss Haiti work (as well as their response to the Grassley investigation), a portion of the blame should also rest at the feet of donors.

Now, I cant be too hard on the donor who texts a $10 donation in the aftermath of a disaster; they arent experienced donors. But for foundations, corporations, and philanthropists who give large donations andin many caseshire professionals to maximize the impact of their giving, this should be a wake-up call. This is an opportunity for grantmakers to reflect on whether they are playing a role in raising the standards in the humanitarian sector.

If it were me, in the aftermath of the Haiti earthquake with the desire to give a large donation to help with relief work, heres what Id do:

DEEPLY UNDERSTAND WHAT A COMMUNITY NEEDS AND WORK THROUGH THEM

From the accounts that the Red Cross had little interaction with local residents, to the criticism that Mark Zuckerbergs efforts to reform the Newark school system were hampered by a lack of engagement with the community, there are numerous examples of donors failing to meaningfully engage with and understand the people and the situation they are trying to help.

What I find really surprising is that this type of thinking rarely happens in the business world. Companies live and die by whether or not their product or service meets the needs of the buyer. Its in the companys best interest to use techniques like design thinking to observe user behavior and tailor their offering to fit whats needed.

Yet in philanthropy this sort of human-centered design is sorely lacking. Perhaps its because the beneficiary is not the one actually purchasing the servicethe donor is. But to really help people, philanthropists need to listen to what the community needs, and work with organizations and leaders located within that community in order to do the most long-term good.

Among many of the lessons weve learned from managing disaster responses on behalf of clients, one of the most important is that community-based organizations offer tremendous value as innovative, cost-effective partners who can act swiftly and strategically compared to large, international NGOs. Community-based organizations are immensely resourceful, using innovative methods to overcome local limitations, which is even more necessary in the aftermath of a disaster.