The American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP) announces its top-rated list of charities currently offering relief services to the victims of Hurricanes Charley, Frances, Ivan and Jeanne in the Southeast U.S. and Caribbean. Haiti has been hit particularly hard with hundreds of thousands left homeless and suffering from severe shortages of food, clean water, electricity and unsanitary conditions.

AIP, a leading charity watchdog that issues letter grade (A+ to F) ratings of nonprofit groups, identifies the following relief charities, which are providing aid to the victims. These charities have received an “A” or “B” grade based on the portion of their budget going to program services and their fundraising efficiency.

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· American Friends Service Committee (in Haiti) (A-)
  1-888-588-2372

· American Red Cross (A+)
  1-800-435-7669

· AmeriCares (in Haiti) (B)
  1-800-521-2273

· CARE (in Haiti) (A)
  1-800-422-7385

· Catholic Relief Services (A+)
  1-800-736-3467

· Church World Service (A-)
  1-800-297-1516

· Mennonite Central Committee (in Jamaica) (A)
  1-888-563-4676

· Oxfam-America (in Haiti) (B+)
  1-800-776-9326

· Salvation Army (U.S. and Haiti) (A)
  1-800-725-2769

· Save the Children (in Haiti) (A)
  1-800-728-3843

· World Vision (A-)
  1-888-511-6589

All of these charities perform favorably in relation to AIP’s benchmarks:

1) A charity should spend at least 60% of its budget on program services.
2) Charities should spend no more than $35 to raise $100.

Contact your favorite charities to find out if they provide the specific types of aid that you would like to fund, e.g., emergency relief, health care, infrastructure development, education, etc.

DONORS BEWARE
Americans wanting to help the hurricane victims should send contributions to only those charities with an established track record of helping people in this region. The Federal Trade Commission is issuing a special alert cautioning consumers about the proliferation of charity scams in the wake of these hurricanes.

Tips for Making the Most of Your Donation:

· Give to newly created charities only if you have reliable third-party verification of their credibility and/or have knowledge of and trust the officers and directors of the new group.

· Do not assume that a claimed celebrity endorsement is real or that the celebrity has adequately scrutinized the charity.

· Give with check or credit card instead of cash. There is little assurance that coin or currency donations will actually go to the intended beneficiary.

· Be cautious about giving to individual disaster victims that show up on covers of magazines or on television. Unpublicized victims may be more in need than publicized victims who are often flooded with gifts.

· Be cautious about giving in response to a telemarketing call. If you decide to donate, make sure you have reviewed all the information from the charity and ask what percentage of your contribution will fund the pertinent programs. For more tips on giving click here.

SEND A CHECK, NOT GOODS
The best way to help is by sending a check. Cash donations enable charities to buy the most needed types of food, medicine, clothing, shelter materials and other supplies. By buying relief products locally or regionally, charities can reduce shipping costs and more rapidly deliver assistance. Before sending any goods, first contact the charity to find out if they are appropriate and if it will be cost effective to distribute them. For example, during the Bosnian War (1992–1996), 37.5 million pounds of inappropriate medicines were donated.