Arlington, VA (August 30, 2019) – As Hurricane Dorian approaches the Florida coast, BBB Wise Giving Alliance (BBB’s Give.org) and Better Business Bureau encourage donors to support experienced disaster relief organizations. It’s also important for charity disaster appeals to be clear about what activities their support will fund.”

“As Dorian is predicted to be a devastating storm,” notes Art Taylor, president and CEO of BBB’s Give.org. “most of us will be motivated to provide immediate help. Donations to experienced disaster relief efforts are the best option to achieve that goal.”

In addition, Taylor said “A recent public survey we distributed earlier this year shows that only 24% of individuals say charity disaster relief appeals are very clear. So, we also encourage charities to make sure their relief solicitations explain the nature of their disaster assistance activities.

In previous weather disasters, Give.org has seen crowdfunding posts from individuals claiming to raise funds so they can deliver and distribute water, food and flashlights to impacted areas. Even if sincere, such efforts may risk lives, complicate access by professional efforts and potentially divert donations that could be directed in more helpful ways.”

“Donors should watch out for newly created organizations that emerge that are either inexperienced in addressing disasters or may be seeking to deceive donors at a vulnerable time,” Taylor said.

BBB also expects to see price-gougers and “storm chasers” looking to make a quick buck off of preparation and clean-up efforts (BBB.org/Storm). Consumers can report suspected scams to BBB Scam Tracker ( BBB.org/ScamTracker) or the office of the Attorney General in their state.

BBB Wise Giving Alliance suggests that donors keep the following tips in mind to help avoid questionable appeals for support:

1. Verify the trustworthiness of soliciting relief organizations by visiting Give.org to access free reports that specify if the charity meets the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability.
2. See if the charity has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas. Unless the charity already has skilled operations in the affected areas, it may be difficult to provide assistance quickly and effectively. See if the charity’s website or appeal clearly describes what the charity can do to address immediate relief needs as well as longer-term recovery needs. 
3. Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or is raising money for other groups. Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations. If so, you may want to consider “avoiding the middleman” and give directly to charities that have a presence in the region. Appeals for disaster-related donations should clearly state how contributions will be used.
4. Be cautious about gifts of clothing, food or other in-kind donations. In-kind drives for food and clothing, while well-intentioned, may not be the quickest way to help those in need – unless the organization has the staff and infrastructure to hand out such aid properly. Donated goods may impose extra costs on a charity to cover storage and distribution, and also may not meet the most urgent needs.
5. Understand crowdfunding. While there are resources like Give.org to help vet charities, it is difficult to vet individuals. If you decide to contribute to an individual via crowdfunding, it is safest to give to people you personally know. Also, remember that gifts to help a specific individual generally are not deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes. Remember to check the terms and conditions of the crowdfunding platform to learn how your donation might be affected.

For additional disaster giving tips visit this link at Give.org 

The emergency phase of a disaster is just the beginning. Full recovery from a disaster will be a long-term effort that can take many months or years to accomplish, depending on the extent of the damage.

The following is a list of BBB Accredited Charities (i.e., organizations that meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability) that announce (on their websites) their readiness to assist with Hurricane Dorian relief assistance. This list will be updated as additional relief efforts come to BBB’s Give.org’s attention. 

American Humane

American Red Cross

Americares Foundation

Brother's Brother Foundation

Direct Relief

GlobalGiving

Humane Society of the United States

Heart to Heart International

International Medical Corps

Mercy Corps

Project HOPE

Salvation Army

Save the Children

World Vision

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 soliciting charities by completing rigorous evaluations based on 20 holistic standards that address charity governance, results reporting, finances, fundraising, appeal accuracy and other issues. Reports on nationally-soliciting charities are produced by BBB’s Give.org and regional charity reports are produced by local Better Business Bureaus – all reports are available at Give.org.

ABOUT BBB:

For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. In 2018, people turned to BBB more than 173 million times for BBB Business Profiles on more than 5.4 million businesses and Charity Reports on 11,000 charities, all available for free at bbb.org.

MEDIA CONTACTS: For more information, journalists should contact Katherine Hutt (212-705-0131 or khutt@iabbb.org) or Bennett Weiner (bweiner@give.org).