To assist donors seeking to support relief efforts for those impacted by either Hurricane Ian and/or Hurricane Fiona, BBB Wise Giving Alliance is providing the following giving tips along with a list of BBB Accredited Charities (i.e., those that meet all 20 of the BBB Charity Standards) that are engaged in disaster relief activities.

1. Is the disaster appeal clear? The contribution request should clearly identify what disaster relief activities you are supporting. There are many possibilities such as temporary shelter, food, medical care and other emergency needs. Don’t assume what they do based solely on the group’s name.
2. Does the charity already have a presence in the impacted area?  Charities that already have support staff in the impacted areas are more likely to deliver help quickly at a time of immediate need.
3. Is the charity an experienced relief organization? Experienced relief organizations will be able to provide help with greater speed and efficiency than a newly created effort.
4. If considering crowdfunding, do you know its procedures? Some crowdfunding sites take measures to vet postings after a disaster, others don’t. Review the site’s policies and procedures to find out. If in doubt, it is always safest to donate to people who you personally know and trust.
5. Does the organization meet the 20 BBB Charity Standards? We recommend donating to charities that meet all 20 of the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. Visit BBB’s Give.org to access free evaluative reports on charities.

Hurricane Disaster Relief

The following organizations are BBB Accredited Charities (i.e., meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability) and currently announced on their respective websites that they are collecting funds to assist Hurricane Ian and/or Hurricane Fiona relief efforts. Additional BBB Accredited Charities will be added as we learn about their hurricane-related activities.

American Kidney Fund – Hurricane Ian Activities  - Hurricane Fiona Activities

American Red Cross – Hurricane Ian Activities- Hurricane Fiona Activities

Direct Relief – Hurricane Ian Activities– Hurricane Fiona Activities

Episcopal Relief and Development – Hurricane Ian Activities

Food for the Poor – Hurricane Fiona Activities

GlobalGiving – Hurricane Ian Activities– Hurricane Fiona Activities

Good360 – Hurricane Ian Activities– Hurricane Fiona Activities

Hispanic Federation – Hurricane Ian & Fiona Activities

Heart to Heart International – Hurricane Ian Activities– Hurricane Fiona Activities

Humane Society of the United States – Hurricane Ian Activities

International Medical Corps – Hurricane Ian Activities – Hurricane Fiona Activities

Islamic Relief USA – Hurricane Ian Activities – Hurricane Fiona Activities

Matthew 25: Ministries – Hurricane Ian Activities

Mercy Corps – Hurricane Fiona Activities

Operation USA – Hurricane Ian Activities– Hurricane Fiona Activities

Salvation Army – Hurricane Ian Activities

Save the Children – Hurricane Ian Activities– Hurricane Fiona Activities

United Methodist Committee on Relief – Hurricane Fiona Activities

Canadian Charities: If you are considering donating to a Canadian-based charity, there is a list of Registered Charities provided by the Government of Canada, which can be found here. While the registration with this government agency does not mean the government is recommending or endorsing the charity, it does signify that the group has filed the appropriate paperwork with this agency.

ABOUT BBB WISE GIVING ALLIANCE: BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB’s Give.org) is a standards-based charity evaluator that seeks to verify the trustworthiness of nationally soliciting charities by completing rigorous evaluations based on 20 holistic standards that address charity governance, results reporting, finances, fundraising, appeal accuracy and other issues. National charity reports are produced by BBB’s Give.org and local charity reports are produced by local Better Business Bureaus – all reports are available at Give.org.

ABOUT BBB: The Better Business Bureau has empowered people to find businesses, brands, and charities they can trust for over 110 years. In 2021, people turned to BBB more than 200 million times for BBB Business Profiles on 6.3 million businesses and Charity Reports on 12,000 charities, for free at BBB.org. The International Association of Better Business Bureaus is the umbrella organization for the local, independent BBBs in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.