BOISE, Idaho — The latest news about the devastating earthquake that hit Syria and Turkey on Monday report over 19,000 deaths and 5,000 buildings collapsed. Search and rescue efforts seek to find trapped people, as foreign rescue teams are on their way to help.
To assist donors seeking to support these efforts, BBB Wise Giving Alliance has provided the following giving tips along with a list of BBB Accredited Charities that announced on their respective websites that they are collecting funds for earthquake relief. You can verify a charity's accreditation at give.org.
APPEAL CLARITY IS KEY. Seek appeals that are upfront and clear about what disaster relief services you are supporting. A previous Give.org Donor Trust Report [give.org] issued by BBB Wise Giving Alliance showed that only 24% of donors believe disaster relief appeals are “clear.”
CONTRIBUTE TO EXPERIENCED GROUPS. Support experienced organizations that stand ready to provide quick and effective assistance. Be cautious of newly formed organizations in the wake of a disaster. While well intended, they may not be able to follow through on their announced activities.
LOOK FOR CHARITIES WITH ON-THE-GROUND PRESENCE. If the charity already has skilled operations in affected areas, they will be in a better position to provide help quickly and reach those in need. Also, some charities may be raising money to pass along to other relief organizations. If so, you may want to consider “avoiding the middleman” and give directly to charities that have a presence in the region.
UNDERSTANDING CROWDFUNDING. If considering crowdfunding, it is safest to give to someone you personally know and trust. Also, review the platform’s policies and procedures, keeping in mind that while some crowdfunding sites take measures to vet posts, others don’t.
GIVE MONEY RATHER THAN GOODS. Donating money is the quickest way to help and provides charities the flexibility to channel resources to impacted areas.
VERIFY CHARITY TRUSWORTHINESS. You can verify a charity’s trustworthiness by viewing an evaluative report completed by BBB Wise Giving Alliance. See the list provided below of charities that that are soliciting for relief assistance for Pakistan and that also meet the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability [give.org].
The following organizations are BBB Accredited Charities (i.e., meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability [give.org]) and currently announced on their respective websites that they are collecting funds to assist earthquake relief efforts. Additional BBB Accredited Charities will be added as we learn about their earthquake-related activities.
- American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee
- Americares
- Catholic Relief Services
- Charities Aid Foundation America
- Direct Relief
- Global Giving
- Global Impact
- Helping Hand for Relief and Development
- International Medical Corps
- International Rescue Committee
- Islamic Relief USA
- Mennonite Central Committee
- Mercy Corps
- Operation USA
- Oxfam America
- Plan International USA
- Project HOPE
- Save the Children
- USA for UNHCR: The UN Refugee Agency
- World Relief
- World Renew
- World Vision
