The American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP) announces its top-rated list of charities offering aid to an estimated 100,000 people left homeless after the devastating quake that shook Bam, Iran, on December 26th. AIP, a leading charity watchdog that issues letter grade (A to F) ratings of nonprofit groups, identifies the following 14 relief charities, which are providing aid to the victims that receive 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 (A)
· American Jewish World Service (A)
· American Red Cross (A+)
· American Refugee Committee (A+)
· AmeriCares (B)
· Brother's Brother Foundation (B)
· Church World Service (A-)
· Direct Relief International (B)
· Doctors without Borders (A)
· Food for the Hungry (B)
· Lutheran World Relief (A)
· Map International (B)
· Mercy Corps (B+)
· Save the Children (A-)
· World Vision (B+)

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 people facing a humanitarian crisis in Iran should send contributions to only those charities with an established track record of helping people in this region. During a highly publicized crisis, it is common for disreputable, fly-by-night “charities” to take advantage of the public’s generosity.

SEND A CHECK, NOT GOODS
The best way to help is by sending a check. Cash donations enable charities to buy the most needed type 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.