Please choose from one of the organizations below that are rushing emergency aid to the region; designate your donation to "China Earthquake Relief".
AmeriCares;
experts are in China assessing the needs and coordinating the emergency response
Church World Service;
monitoring closely and will provide financial and material resources support as needed
Direct Relief International;
extending support to two partner facilities and reaching out to colleague organizations to coordinate efforts
Episcopal Relief & Development;
identifying the key needs of the affected population to supply funding and emergency response
Food for the Hungry;
assessing the damage and how to respond
Give2Asia;
pulling resources from their Beijing office and local partners to bring assistance to communities affected by the quake
Latter-day Saint Charities;
responding at this time to emergency situations in several world locations with its Emergency Response fund
Lutheran World Relief;
responding through international partner Action by Churches Together (ACT) that has staff close to the quake epicenter
Mercy Corps;
supporting the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation in emergency response efforts to the most devastated areas
Operation Blessing International Relief & Development Corporation;
holding medical clinics and providing relief supplies via teams working with the China Foundation for Poverty Alleviation
Save the Children;
working closely with the International Red Cross and the Ministry of Civil Affairs in monitoring the situation and is prepared to provide assistance
United Methodist Committee on Relief;
accepting donations for the earthquake through their International Disaster Response fund
World Vision International;
monitoring the situation via communications and emergency staff based in Yunnan and ready to deploy assistance
International Federation of the Red Cross Red Crescent Societies;
allocating emergency funds to support the Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) in delivering immediate assistance.
Make a donation on their site.
Charity Navigator's Tips For Giving In Times Of Crisis
- Give To An Established Charity
Don't let an unscrupulous charity take advantage of your goodwill. Find a charity with a proven track record of success with dealing with the type of disaster and in the region in which the disaster occurred. Avoid fly-by-night charities created specifically to deal with the new crisis. Even well-meaning new organizations will not have the infrastructure and knowledge of the region to efficiently maximize your gift. If you do feel compelled to give to a new charity, be sure to get proof that the group is in fact a registered public charity with 501 (c) (3) status.
- Designate Your Gift
Worried that your donation will go towards the charity's general operating fund or saved for a future crisis? This is a very understandable concern. Many charities do encourage donors not to designate their gifts so that the charity can decide how best to utilize the money, but depending on your confidence in the charity's ability to make that determination, you may want to tell the charity exactly how to use your gift. By designating your gift, you'll ensure that your donation will be used as you intended. Most charities with online giving portals offer a check box feature so that you can tell the organization how to spend your contribution. If you are mailing in a check, then write a note in the memo section of the check specifying that you want your gift spent entirely on the current crisis.
- Avoid Telemarketers
Be wary of fundraisers who pressure you to make a contribution over the phone. Never divulge your credit card information to someone soliciting you via the phone. Instead, ask the fundraiser to send you written information about the charity they represent and do some research on your own. Once you feel comfortable with the charity, send the organization a check directly in the mail, or give through their website, thus ensuring 100% of your gift goes to the charity and not the for-profit fundraiser.
Read Charity Navigator's Guide to Handling Telephone Appeals
- Research And Follow Up
As always, take the time to find a charity you can trust. Use our free financial evaluations to search for well-run charities worthy of your support. And be sure to follow up with the charity in a few months to find out (a) how your donation was put to use and (b) if the organization needs additional support to complete the recovery effort.
- Give Online
The inherent speed of online giving provides instant gratification to donors and offers charities immediate access to much needed funds. At Charity Navigator with the simple click of a mouse you can make a secure online gift to the charities we rate. Each transaction is processed by Network for Good, a trusted industry leader for online giving. Network for Good handled $24.5 million in contributions following the 2004 tsunami, Hurricane Katrina and the Pakistan Earthquakes.
Reprinted with the permission of Charity Navigator, www.charitynavigator.org, America's leading independent charity evaluator.