UNDATED (WHTC-AM/FM) — BBB Wise Giving Alliance and the Better Business Bureau advise donors that experienced disaster relief organizations are your best bet to provide emergency help for victims of Hurricane Florence. It’s also important for contributors to ask about what activities their donations will fund.
“This is not amateur hour,” notes Art Taylor, president and CEO of BBB Wise Giving Alliance. “Give.org has seen crowdfunding posts from individuals claiming to raise funds so they can deliver and distribute water, food, and flashlights to impacted areas. Even if sincere, such efforts may risk lives, complicate access by professional efforts and potentially divert donations that could be directed in more helpful ways.”
“With such a devastating hurricane bearing down on the southeast coast of the United States, emotions are running high,” Taylor said. “While we all want to help those in harm’s way as soon as we can, donors should watch out for newly created organizations that emerge that are either inexperienced in addressing disasters or may be seeking to deceive donors at a vulnerable time.”
BBB Wise Giving Alliance urges donors to give thoughtfully and avoid those seeking to take advantage of the generosity of others.
Here are BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s tips for trusted giving:
1. Thoughtful GivingTake the time to check out the charity to avoid wasting your generosity by donating to a questionable or poorly managed effort. The first request for a donation may not be the best choice. Be proactive and find trusted charities that are providing assistance. Visit Give.org to verify if a charity meets the BBB Standards for Charitable Accountability.
2. CrowdfundingKeep in mind that some crowdfunding sites do very little vetting of individuals who decide to post for assistance after a tragedy or a disaster, and it is often difficult for donors to verify the trustworthiness of crowdfunding requests for support. For more Give.org tips on crowdfunding, check out this Wise Giving Wednesday post.
3. Respect for Victims and Their Families Organizations raising funds should get permission from the families to use either the names of the victims and/or any photographs of them. Some charities raising funds for the victims of previous shootings did not do this and were the subject of criticism from victims’ families.
4. Government RegistrationAbout 40 of the 50 states in the U.S. require charities to register with a state government agency (usually a division of the State Attorney General’s office) before they solicit for charitable gifts. If the charity is not registered, that may be a significant red flag. In Canada, all charitable organizations must be registered with the Canada Revenue Agency. If an organization is claiming to be a charity and they aren’t registered with the CRA, that’s a red flag.
5. How Will Donations Will Be Used?Watch out for vague appeals that don’t identify the intended use of funds. For example, how will the donations help victims’ families? Also, unless told otherwise, donors will assume that funds collected quickly in the wake of a tragedy will be spent just as quickly. See if the appeal identifies when the collected funds will be used
6. What if a Family Sets Up Its Own Assistance Fund?Some families may decide to set up their own assistance funds. Be mindful that such funds may not be set up as charities. Also, if collected monies are received and administered by a third party such as a bank, CPA, or lawyer this will help provide oversight and ensure the collected funds are used appropriately (paying for funeral costs, counseling, and other tragedy-related needs).
7. Advocacy OrganizationsTragedies that involve violent acts with firearms can also generate requests from a variety of advocacy organizations that address gun use. Donors can support these efforts as well, but note that some of these advocacy groups are not tax exempt as charities. Also, watch out for newly-created advocacy groups that will be difficult to check out.
8. Online CautionNever click on links to charities on unfamiliar websites or in text messages or email. These may take you to a look-alike website where you will be asked to provide personal financial information, or may download harmful malware onto your computer. Don’t assume that charity recommendations on social media have already been vetted.
9. Financial TransparencyAfter funds are raised for a tragedy, it is even more important for organizations to provide an accounting of how funds were spent. Transparent organizations will post this information on their websites so that anyone can find out without having to wait until the audited financial statements are available sometime in the future.
10. Newly-Created vs Established OrganizationsThis is a personal giving choice, but an established charity will more likely have the experience to quickly address the circumstances and have a track record that can be evaluated. A newly-formed organization may be well-meaning, but will be difficult to check out and may not be well managed.
11. Tax DeductibilityNot all organizations collecting funds in the U.S. to assist after a tragedy are tax exempt as charities under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Donors can support these other entities, but keep this in mind if they want to take a deduction for federal income tax purposes. In addition, contributions that are donor-restricted to help a specific individual or family are not deductible as charitable donations, even if the recipient organization is a charity. You can check a U.S. organization’s tax status here.BBB also expects to see price-gouging and “storm chasers” looking to make a quick buck off preparation and clean-up efforts. Consumers can report suspected scams to BBB Scam Tracker or the office of the Attorney General in their state. The emergency phase of a disaster is just the beginning. Full recovery from a disaster will be a long-term activity that can take many months or years to accomplish, depending on the extent of the damage. Those truly concerned about helping communities bounce back will have many opportunities to help in the future.
Additional ResourcesFor a list of national BBB Accredited Charities gearing up for hurricane relief efforts, go to Give.org. This list will be updated as additional relief efforts come to BBB WGA’s attention.Give.org and BBB advise hurricane donors to support experienced disaster relief charities.Here are BBB tips on charitable giving after a natural disaster or tragedy.
