I saw something about this earlier today – I’d post a link if I could remember where – and thought it was worth repeating.
If you’re making a donation for earthquake relief in Haiti, please consider allowing the charity to which you’re giving it to use where it’s most needed, rather than earmarking for the Haitian earthquake. It will allow the charity much more flexibility in allocating funds, and if your dollars don’t go directly to Haiti, they’ll still be helping the victims of the quake, by letting the charity spend money it might otherwise have needed elsewhere in Haiti now.
As to which charity you should donate to – The Red Cross, Oxfam, Doctors Without Borders and Mercy Corps are some of the highest-profile. They’re all working in Haiti now. Charity Navigator has posted a list of three- and four-star charities in the area. And if you’re ready to go to Haiti yourself, Idealist.org has a list of international charities that sponsor volunteer travel. (Hat tip to Oxfam America for the Idealist link.)
Very good points! It’s an important thing to remember that the charities have lots of needs and to not limit them is really good advice.
