Not So Fast: Patience Is a Virtue When Making Hurricane Ian Donations

Hurricane Ian has been downgraded this morning to a tropical storm. CharityWatch executive director, Laurie Styron, says that patience is a virtue when making disaster donations. Charities and their trade associations often exploit natural disasters for fundraising purposes without a clear idea of if or how they will even be able to help. CharityWatch cautions donors to not donate to a charity in response to a natural disaster unless and until it:

• provides explicit details and concrete plans for how it will help victims. 
• demonstrates a good track record of providing substantial aid in similar disasters. 
• can provide data from an objective source  reflecting its history of spending donations efficiently and effectively. 

If a charity is light on the details about how it plans to help disaster victims, does not quantify its plans for providing aid, and has little experience or expertise in providing aid in similar disasters, it is best to take a pass on donating to that specific organization. Charities that use disasters primarily as fundraising opportunities siphon donations away from those charities that are more equipped to efficiently and effectively provide substantial help to victims.  

CharityWatch will post a list of Top-Rated charities providing aid to victims of Tropical Storm Ian on our blog as soon as adequate information can be gathered about the specific aid such charities are providing.