You may have seen the Ad Council’s “Donate Responsibly” PSAs after Hurricane Sandy, where we encouraged people to give monetary donations after national disasters. Through this campaign, we developed consistent crisis messaging in partnership with a new coalition of humanitarian and aid organizations including the Center for International Disaster Information (CIDI), the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), The UPS Foundation, the National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, and InterAction. Two of those partners, CIDI and USAID, have for the last eight years promoted this very message about cash donations in international disasters through a unique program called PSAid.

Have you ever wanted to make your own PSA? Now is your chance, by entering PSAid’s 8^th Annual PSA Competition. CIDI and USAID ask contestants to submit print (8×10) or video (30 second) PSAs encouraging Americans to practice Smart Compassion when helping people affected by emergencies overseas. Donors should send appropriate donations to well-established, U.S. based disaster relief organizations. Cash donations are less expensive for donors and more beneficial to recipients. Monetary donations allow relief organizations to react with speed and specificity across all critical sectors, for both short-term and long-term relief. Workers on the ground are able to determine the most urgently needed, culturally appropriate supplies and services and stimulate the local economy using money contributed from Americans and other people around the world.

We in the public service advertising world need your help to magnify our messages, and PSAid’s competition is the perfect platform for you to get involved. PSAid’s website features a resource center with everything you’ll need to get started, including creative specs (end tags, logos, etc.), disaster myths and guidelines, external online resources, a high-res photography gallery, and a promotional poster. You can also watch clips of disaster relief workers to hear firsthand the limitations of material donations and browse a gallery of submissions from previous years.

Print and video submissions will be accepted through April 17, 2013 by electronic upload at PSAid.org. Winning PSAs will be distributed nationally and showcased through CIDI’s online channels, with the potential to educate millions of people. So what are you waiting for? Get those creative juices flowing and submit a PSA for an important social cause!