After the 2008 Sichuan Earthquake，charitable activities began to receive more attention，and people also had high hopes of NGOs. Through an extensive analysis of surveys （including 465 surveys from individuals involved in the earthquake，171 surveys from people who benefitted from the charity work，and 60 surveys from the NGOs themselves），meeting notes and interviews with involved groups and individuals，we find that people were more than willing to donate their money and time to charity. Those who benefitted from the charity work also reported high levels of satisfaction with the government，NGOs，and corporations. However，with respect to NGOs，there is room for improvement in the areas of creditability，publicity，and information transparency. Respecting people’s differing donation preferences，NGOs should seize this opportunity to expand the charity market and to educate and develop new volunteers. The government should use a service purchase mechanism to encourage NGOs’ involvement in disaster area reconstruction. The government can also consider implementing measures to reward NGOs that were actively involved in disaster relief.