An eventful week in world news may have distracted attention from the need for aid in Japan, but the need remains. Images of Japan’s tsunami and earthquake devastation still pour out of the country (as reflected in this Bloomberg news article), and at this point, the affected are no longer expressing shock, but the question: “How do we go about getting back to normal?”

And while it’s likely everyone is putting off shopping trips as they watch financial markets bounce around, that doesn’t change the fact that most people still want to help and donate to Japan’s relief efforts.

As mentioned in the Hartford Courant’s March 18 article on donating to Japanese relief, by Korky Vann, you can find myriad ways to help Japan, even when you are short on cash. This includes donating accumulated hotel rewards points, and in the case of United, Continental, and American Airlines, donations of $50 or $100 will get you rewarded with bonus miles on your frequent flier account.

The article also mentions Plastic Jungle: “At PlasticJungle.com, you can donate unused gift cards (minimum balance of $25) to the Red Cross, Direct Relief or Global Giving.”

If you’ve got unused gift cards, you’ve got a means to donate. Check out our Nonprofit Directory. You can donate the value of your unused gift cards in a matter of minutes to any nonprofit listed in the directory.

Begin your donation process by linking to Plastic Jungle’s Sell Gift Cards page. You will be offered the opportunity to donate part or all of the proceeds from your gift card sale to an organization of your choice. You can donate a plastic gift card (Plastic Jungle provides you with a free shipping label), or an e-gift card.

Plastic Jungle will forward the funds to your nonprofit of choice, along with a donation report, by the 30th of the following month. Remember that all of Plastic Jungle’s transactions are guaranteed. Donating via Plastic Jungle is safe, easy, and efficiently effective.

Plastic Jungle will provide you with a receipt for your tax-deductible gift.

If you’re a nonprofit and would like to become listed in our directory, go to our PJ for Nonprofits page. You’ll find out how to become a nonprofit affiliate (a very simple process), and how Plastic Jungle can help you raise funds for your local, national, or even international cause. For questions regarding the nonprofit directory, email fundraising@plasticjungle.net.

Let’s see if we can get a count on how many readers can spare an unused gift card to help Japan recovery. Please leave a comment if you’re taking the initiative to give via Plastic Jungle, and let us know who your intended nonprofit is.

We know that aid comes from many places so here are several other ways that you can help relief efforts:

American Red Cross

Your donation to the American Red Cross will help support disaster relief efforts to help those affected by the earthquake in Japan and tsunami throughout the Pacific.

Global Giving

Global Giving has already raised over $1.8 million for the Japan relief efforts.  Go to their site and make a tax-deductible contribution and they will send you progress updates so that you can see how your gift is making a difference.

eBay Giving Works

eBay is helping their users donate to relief agencies through the buying and selling of items. To ensure that all funds raised go to the relief efforts, eBay is waiving the standard donation processing fees on these donations.

Our hearts go out to those impacted by this terrible disaster and its aftermath.  We send our sincerest wishes for a thorough recovery to all those affected around the world.