Disaster Relief

The devastating earthquake that killed more than 5,200 people, flattened parts of Katmandu and triggered avalanches in the Himalayas prompted an international outpouring of sympathy and aid for Nepalese recovery. Flooding in Texas and other natural disasters around the world and across the country have people looking for ways to help those in need. When disasters strike, Americans are quick to assist victims by donating time and money. Better Business Bureau advises consumers to check out the charities they support and avoid fraudulent charities that often crop up to take advantage of their sympathy for disaster victims.

The best way to help is to donate money to a reputable humanitarian organization, like the American Red Cross, a BBB Charity Seal holder. The American Red Cross has a long history of responding to local, national, and international disasters.

BBB offers the following tips to help Americans decide where to direct donations:

* Rely on respected experts to evaluate a charity. Be cautious when relying on third-party recommendations such as bloggers, because they may not have fully researched the listed relief organizations. BBB offers reviews of more than 11,000 charities that indicate whether a charity complies with BBB's 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

* Be wary of claims that 100 percent of donations assist victims. All charities have fundraising and administrative costs. Even a credit card donation will involve, at a minimum, a processing fee.

* Be cautious when giving online to unfamiliar charities. Be wary of spam messages and emails that claim to link to a relief organization. After the tsunami disaster in 2011 and the earthquake in Haiti in 2010, many websites and organizations that were created overnight allegedly to help victims turned out to be scams.

* Find out if the charity has a presence in the impacted areas. Unless the charity already has staff in the affected areas, it may be difficult to get new aid workers into the area to provide assistance. See if the charity's website clearly describes what they can do to address immediate needs.

* Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups. You may want to avoid the middleman and give directly to charities that have a presence in the region. Check out the ultimate recipients of the donations to ensure that the organizations are equipped to effectively provide aid.

* Gifts of clothing, food or other in-kind donations may not be appropriate. Unless the organization has the staff and infrastructure to distribute such aid, the donations may be more of a burden than a help. Ask the charity about their transportation and distribution plans. Be wary of those who are not experienced in disaster relief.

For more information about charities or to get a BBB Charity Review, check with BBB at bbb.org or by calling 573-803-3190.