Supporters of Mercy Corps have sprung into action since the January 12 earthquake in Haiti, raising more than $500,000 through their personal fund-raising pages – a significant portion of the $7.1-million the Portland, Ore., group has received for relief efforts.

Once someone has set up a fund-raising page on the Mercy Corps Web site, they can use e-mail, Twitter, and Facebook to ask their friends and family members to donate.

“It’s been tremendously effective to have dedicated donors appealing directly to their social circles,” Jeremy Barnicle, a vice president at Mercy Corps, said in written statement.