Narrow your focus to shake off apathy during a large-scale disaster

Focus on helping only a few people during a massive crisis.
For example, when an earthquake devastates and kills thousands of people, think of helping only one person in that crisis. Visualize a little girl with a bright future or a grandmother struggling to feed her five grandchildren. Focusing on only a few people triggers your compassion and makes your donation seem more worthwhile.

Use a celebrity to champion your preferred cause.
If there’s a cause you care about that affects millions of people, such as cancer or HIV, you can ask a local celebrity to become the face of the cause in your area. More people will care about the cause and take action because they can see that their favorite celebrity cares about it.

Develop a moral philosophy to guide your behavior during a crisis.
Governments and non-profit organizations can create policies stating that when the lives of a specific number of people are in jeopardy, they will take immediate action. This can help prevent tragedies such as genocides and mass starvation from getting worse.