Hurricane Relief

Give To An Established Charity: Find a charity with a proven track record.  Avoid charities created specifically to deal with Hurricane Katrina relief efforts unless you know and trust someone personally involved or can verify their arrangements.  Even well-meaning new organizations will not have the infrastructure and knowledge to use your gift efficiently.

Designate Your Gift: By designating your gift specifically for Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, you'll ensure that your donation will be used for the victims of this particular disaster.  Many charities try to encourage donors not to designate their gifts so that they can decide how best to utilize the money, but depending on your confidence in their ability to make that determination, you may want to tell the charity exactly how to use your gift. 

Avoid Telemarketers: Be wary of fundraisers who pressure you via phone or email. Never divulge your credit card information to someone soliciting you.  Instead, ask the fundraiser to send you written information that you can use to research it's activities. 

Research And Follow Up: Please, take the time to find a charity you can trust.  Use several sources and learn about their rating methods so you can make informed choices.  And be sure to follow up with the charity in a few months to find out how your donation was put to use and if they need additional support to complete the recovery effort. 

The American Institute of Philanthropy is another useful site with a dedicated page for Hurricane Relief.