Links to Relief Agencies Responding to Katrina

Please give MORE than once.  Give this month, give next month and give again the month after that.  The ongoing need will be such that people will need assistance just to survive at least well into 2006 and perhaps beyond.  No amount is too small.  Keep in mind that not one of the agencies listed below receives a penny in government funding and that they all depend solely on the generosity of people.        

• American Baptist Churches, USA

• Alert Academy

• Americares

• American Red Cross (Or call 1-800-HELP-NOW) ANNOUNCED FEBRUARY 3, 2006 THAT THE PROJECTED NEED HAS BEEN MET.  THE RED CROSS GOAL OF 2.116 BILLION DOLLARS HAS BEEN MET.  THE 2005 HURRICANE CAMPAIGN IS COMPLETE AND THEY ARE NO LONGER SOLICITING CASH FOR KATRINA, RITA OR WILMA.  DONATIONS TO RED CROSS GENERAL DISASTER FUND WELCOME.

• B'nai B'rith International

• Bush-Clinton Katrina Fund

• Catholic Charities (USA)

• Christian Children's Fund

• Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)

• Christian Disaster Response

• Christian Reformed World Relief Committee

• Christian Relief Fund

• Church of the Brethren

• Church World Service

• Episcopal Relief & Development

• Habitat for Humanity International

• Heart to Heart International

• International Aid

• International Orthodox Christian Charities

• Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles

• Kiwanis International Disaster Fund

• Latter-Day Saints Charities

• Lutheran Disaster Response

• Lutheran World Relief

• MAP International (Division of the Christian Medical & Dental Associations)

• Mennonite Disaster Service

• Mercy Corps

• Mercy-USA for Aid & Development

• Methodist Relief

• Nazarene Compassionate Ministries, Inc.

• Nazarene Disaster Response

• North American Mission Board of the Southern Baptist Convention

• Northwest Medical Teams International

• Operation Blessing

• Operation USA

• OxFam America

• Presbyterian Disaster Assistance

• Reformed Church in America

• Salvation Army  (Or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY)

• Samaritan's Purse

• Second Harvest

• Soldiers' Angels (Committed to help armed forces personnel returning to the disaster area following an overseas deployment)

• Southern Baptist North American Mission Board (Their feeding teams cook most of the hot food the Red Cross and other agencies are serving.)

• United Church of Christ

• United Jewish Communities, The Federations of North America

• United Methodist Committee on Relief

• United Way International

• World Emergency Relief

All creatures great & small

The following agencies are accepting donations to support their self-appointed mandate of dealing with untold numbers of stray, abandoned and injured pets, livestock and exotic animals throughout the disaster zone.

• ASPCA

• Humane Society of the US

• Louisiana Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

• Noah's Wish

• North Shore Animal League

• Pet Smart Charities

Tips for Safe & Effective Donating 

Not since the September 8th, 1900 Galveston, Texas landfall of an unnamed hurricane has one killed more people than Katrina.  They didn't name hurricanes in 1900.  Primarily because of flooding Katrina is the most catastrophic to hit the USA since at least 8,000 died in that Galveston landfall over a century ago.  Katrina's death toll is far less, but Katrina will be the most expensive disaster in US History.   Coupled with Rita and Wilma which followed Katrina this is an event of historic proportions.  Criminals know you want to give and they are more than happy to oblige you by allowing you to give to them!  Read the following to make sure your donations go exactly where you want and actually do what you wish your hard earned money to do.

• 1.  Do not give credit card numbers to anyone who calls you on the phone, no matter who they say they represent.  Charities are exempt from the "Do Not Call" Registry.  Criminals know this.  It is much safer to call the charity yourself if you want to donate to them by credit card.   When donating online by credit card, ONLY donate on a SSL ENCRYPTED page.  If you don't know how to tell if the site is encrypted, play it safe and call the charity to donate by phone instead!

• 2.  Donate money DIRECTLY to an agency that you feel comfortable supporting and one which allows you to designate that your dollars go to "Hurricane Katrina" relief.  Some agencies may not give you that option and they can spend your dollars on whatever and wherever they wish.  Meanwhile others will allow you to designate where your money goes.  Consult CharityWatch.Org to see how your chosen charity rates.   NEVER DONATE THROUGH A THIRD PARTY!  Donate directly to your chosen charity.  Our page here lists so many agencies so you can find several you feel comfortable giving money quickly and then link up with them directly.

• 3.  Do NOT collect or donate clothing or non-perishable food items unless you have PRE-ARRANGED transportation and PRE-ARRANGED an agency to receive the donations in the disaster area.  It often is a waste of time and effort to collect mixed items.  Sometimes we feel that giving money isn't enough and we want to give a part of ourselves by donating specific items such as clothing, food or children's items.  However, mixed items are NOT accepted by most of the major relief agencies who deal instead in tractor trailers and railway cars loaded with just one type of item per trailer or car.  The logistics and cost of transporting mixed donated items to the disaster area will probably exceed the value of the items and only serve to complicate delivery of vital aid that is needed right now.  Cash is best.  Cash donations will purchase bulk quantities of exactly what is required as close to the need as possible.  Truckloads of mixed items MAY EVEN BE TURNED AWAY before even reaching the disaster area.  There is nowhere to put the items if they get there and nobody to sort through them to categorize them and then to distribute them.  We further do NOT recommend transporting into the disaster area for personal safety reasons.  Personal security is a major issue within portions of the disaster area and fuel is in short supply.  

• 4.  Beware of people personally soliciting donations door to door, on the street, on the Internet, by phone or email.  (The F.B.I. has issued a fraud alert due to bogus email solicitations following such disasters.)  Also, there could be fraudulent emails purported to be from actual victims soon.  The Washington Post ran a story on Hurricane Katrina Internet Scams on September 1, 2005 which you can read by clicking HERE.  We received an email September 4, 2005 promoting a webpage posted by someone soliciting Paypal donations for the Red Cross.  While this effort may be well intentioned, the associated Paypal transaction fees could be used by the charity to deliver actual services instead of enriching a corporate giant like Paypal/eBay.  If anyone gives through a "third-party" collection method the donation is NOT tax-deductible since you are not donating to the charity but to the third party!  The third party is the one who is eligible to get the tax deduction because they are the one that gets the receipt!  Most countertop cash collection canisters are legitimate, but all of them are subject to theft.  CNN ran a story January 7, 2005 on multiple tsunami relief canisters being stolen.  Never put anything larger than pocket change into a countertop canister.  It is probably a safer idea to have a jar at home for your change and when it fills up, take it to the bank and then send the charity of your choice a check for the change you saved at home.  Remember no amount is too small.

• 5.  Carefully consider whether donations to newly created charities you've never heard of and which have no proven record of service delivery would actually reach those in need.  Instead it is wiser to direct your contributions by check or credit card to an agency that has a proven service delivery history such as those listed on this page.  Also beware of "sound-a-like" agencies which usually are scams.  The list above is a fairly complete list of the reputable non-profit agencies accepting US Dollars for hurricane relief with the experience to effectively deliver services.  All of the agencies on our list above are legitimate and your donations to any of them are tax deductible. 

• 6.  We have heard of employers giving employees the opportunity to donate through payroll deduction.  That is a great idea and we encourage creative ways such as this to make giving as "painless" as possible.  One employer we heard about was matching employee contributions dollar for dollar.  Yet another we know about took a vote and the employees voted to send the money the employer normally spent on the staff holiday party to hurricane relief. 

Want to do more than just donate money?

Become a Red Cross Volunteer and provide help in PERSON:  The Red Cross has called up all active volunteers in their nationwide Disaster Services Human Resources System and over 6,000 of them are deployed in the disaster zone at this writing with more on the way.  The Canadian Red Cross and British Red Cross have also sent manpower.  However the American Red Cross STILL needs MORE PEOPLE to deliver help NOW.  Accelerated one-day training programs are being offered at some chapters for people willing to serve in the disaster zone as Red Cross Volunteers.  Contact your nearest Red Cross Chapter for information.  You can find your local Red Cross Chapter by clicking this link:  RED CROSS CHAPTER LOCATER and entering your ZIP CODE in the search field.  We have been advised that Red Cross volunteers going into the disaster area should first imagine the worst possible working conditions and know in advance that it is WORSE than you imagined.  In spite of the hardships all Red Cross volunteers are still expected to do a first class job.  All travel expenses and meals are provided.  All it will cost you is your time.  Keep in mind that all of the Red Cross volunteers on the ground now will need to rotate out eventually, so replacement volunteers will be needed for each and every one!

Have room in your home & in your heart?

If you have room to shelter one or more Katrina evacuees in your home, there are two new efforts just launched that will match your available space to a specific evacuee's needs.  Even if you have no money to give, maybe you do have a spare bedroom or an empty basement?  That might prove to be the best donation anyone could make right now!

Hurricane Housing. Org is sponsored by the "MOVE ON" political action committee.  But no matter your politics, this is one great idea.  Here is how MoveOn.Org says their new service will work: