Even during tragedies, beware of cyberspace fraud
Cyberspace is calling you to donate to the Haiti relief effort, but be wary of the bandwagon.
In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Haiti, cyberspace has responded astoundingly as thousands take to their keyboards in a universal display of humanitarianism. Facebook posts tell of heartbreak and devastation while Twitter has been inundated with "tweeters" urging the world to do their part in saving what remains of Haiti – posting phone numbers to text or call and donate money to the charities and corporations heavily involved in relief efforts.
Unfortunately, as with any disaster, there are those who are in the business of stealing money from good-hearted donors.
When choosing a charity to donate to, visit charitynavigator.org for a comprehensive list of charities around the world, with in-depth breakdowns of where exactly your money will be going and if they actually need it.
The website offers tips and advice on donating, charity ratings, user feedback and many more features that will more than assist you in your effort to help.
Kevin Sampson, a prolific activist and philanthropist who has donated much of his time and money towards relief aid in countries all over the world, says local charities are the ones that need your help the most.
"After a disaster, the initial response comes from governmental institutes like USAID and Red Cross etc.," said Mr. Sampson. "But donations to these large charities are not guaranteed to make it to the actual cause and it is a small percentage that actually goes to good use."
In the case of the Bermuda Red Cross, all donations made to the accounts set up for Haiti are spent for Haiti.
One Haiti-based charity, Hope for Haiti, is already mobilising effectively.
Hope for Haiti maintains one of the highest organisational efficiency percentages out of all Haiti-based charities, with over 98 percent of its proceeds going toward programme expenses in 2007.
The charity, based in Naples, Florida, has already mobilised buses filled with Emergency Relief Buckets containing fortified dried food supplies, matches, candles, antibacterial soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, detergent, and Aquatab water purification tablets.
If you are looking to make an immediate impact, Hope for Haiti is a very good choice.
Other Haitian charities worth looking at include the Lambi Fund of Haiti and the Haitian Health Foundation, although neither charities are currently active in the relief effort as they assess their own damage.
Outside of Haiti, a safe bet to donate immediate help is Direct Relief International.
Deemed by Forbes to be 99% efficient, DRI puts virtually all of its donations to good use, and has already began preparing a $2 million aid package, scheduled to fly into Haiti today (FRIDAY), teaming up with FedEx who are providing logistics and aircraft, on top of shipping containers to be sent in a second wave of aid, DRI is a well-established non-profit that will put your money to immediate good use. Finally, another highly-efficient non-profit is the volunteer group International Relief Teams. IRT has done relief work in Haiti before and is a very good option when considering its knowledge of what will be needed to help the devastated island nation. IRT is a no-nonsense charity with one of the best reputations for immediate action and impact.
Below are a list of sites to look out for that cropped up not even a full day after the disaster. While their actual legitimacy is not known, it would be wise to steer clear of them, at least until more is known about them:
