Tsunami Disaster Relief

Tips for Donating to Charities

As news of this terrible tragedy continues to worsen, many of us want to donate to charities assisting the survivors of the tsunami. We must be careful though, to be certain our donations actually do go to disaster relief and not to inflated administrative expenses of the charity we choose. Here are a few suggestions for choosing legitimate charity organizations:

1. Be suspicious of any charity that you have never heard of before, and is contacting you for donations.

2. Be suspicious of appeals that are emotional, but short on describing what the charity will do with your donation.

3. Most relief charities prefer financial contributions rather than donated goods. This enables them to purchase needed items near the disaster relief site for easier distribution, and that is a legitimate request. But if you do make a financial donation, do not give cash. Make out a check or money order to the name of the charitable organization, not to an individual collecting the donation. Never give your credit card number or other personal information to a telephone solicitor or in response to an e-mail solicitation.

4. If you decide to contribute online, get details about the charity before making a contribution, and be aware of scams. For example, some charities imitate the name and style of well-known organizations in order to confuse people.

5. Never succumb to pressure for on-the-spot donations. Be extremely suspicious of a charity that insists on sending someone to your home or office to pick up your contribution. This is often done to avoid violating federal mail fraud laws.

6. Don't hesitate to ask for written information describing the charity's programs and finances, such as the charity's latest annual report and financial statements. Even newly created organizations should have some basic information available. Be suspicious of charities that are reluctant to answer your reasonable questions about their operations, finances and programs. Ask how much of your gift will be used for the activity mentioned in the appeal, and how much will go toward other programs and administrative costs.

7. To help ensure your contribution is tax deductible, the donation should be made to a U.S. based charitable organization that is tax exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Go to IRS Publication 78 for a current list of all organizations eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable gifts.

Here are links to several responsible charities, and to Web sites where you can get more information about making charitable donations or volunteering your time for worthy causes. These charities do not necessarily have anything to do with the Asian tsunami.

Doctors Without Borders
American Red Cross
Volunteer Match
Volunteers of America
Gifts In Kind
Give.org
Used Computer
Wireless Foundation
Second Harvest
Charity Watch
Donate A Car
The Hunger Site
Goodwill
Care USA
Save the Children
UNICEF
The Salvation Army