Charity Navigator's Tips for Helping the Victims of the Myanmar Cyclone
Charity Evaluator Offers Tips and Ratings to Help Donors Give Wisely
Published on May 9, 2008 - 7:31:10 AM

By: Charity Navigator

MAHWAH, N.J., May 9 - Charity Navigator, the nation's largest and most-utilized evaluator of charities, offers the following tips to ensure cyclone relief contributions are well-spent.

1. Give To An Established Charity: Don't let an unscrupulous charity take advantage of your goodwill. Avoid fly-by-night charities created specifically to deal with cyclone relief efforts. Even well-meaning new organizations will not have the infrastructure and knowledge of the region to efficiently maximize your gift. If you do feel compelled to give to a new charity, be sure to get proof that the group is in fact a registered public charity with 501 (c)(3) status.

2. Designate Your Gift: Worried that your donation will go towards the charity's general operating fund or saved for an upcoming crisis? This is a very understandable concern. Many charities do encourage donors not to designate their gifts so that the charity can decide how best to utilize the money, but depending on your confidence in the charity's ability to make that determination, you may want to tell the charityexactly how to use your gift. By designating your gift specifically for Myanmar Cyclone Relief Efforts, you'll ensure that your donation will be used for the victims of this particular disaster.

3. Avoid Telemarketers: Be wary of fundraisers who pressure you to make a contribution over the phone. Never divulge your credit card information to someone soliciting you via the phone. Instead, ask the fundraiser to send you written information about the charity they represent and do some research on your own. Once you feel comfortable with the charity, send the organization a check directly in the mail, thus ensuring 100% of your gift goes to the charity and not the for-profit fundraiser.

4. Give Online, But Do So Carefully: Never respond to unsolicited emails, especially those with an attachment or from anyone alleging to be a victim as people affected by a disaster are in no position to contact you directly for assistance. Be sure to seek out the charity'slegitimate website by using a service such as Charity Navigator. The results of a general web search on Google, Yahoo or another search engine may include a fraudulent site designed to look like a charity's website.

5. Research And Follow Up: As always, take the time to find a charity you can trust. Charity Navigator offers this list of top charities responding to this disaster to help you in your efforts. Use our free financial evaluations to search for other well-run charities worthy of your support. And be sure to follow up with the charity in a few months to find out (a) how your donation was put to use and (b) if they need additional support to complete the recovery effort.

-- ActionAid International USA
-- ADRA
-- CARE
-- Church World Service
-- Direct Relief International
-- International Medical Corps
-- International Rescue Committee
-- MAP International
-- Rescue Task Force
-- Samaritan's Purse
-- Save the Children
-- United States Fund for UNICEF
-- World Vision

Charity Navigator is best known for its ratings, accessible at no charge at www.charitynavigator.org, of the financial health of more than 5,300 of America's best-known charities. Charity Navigator's website offers complementary tools and features to help donors make informed choices about where their contributions will be used most effectively.

About Charity Navigator:

Charity Navigator is the largest charity evaluator in America and its website attracts more visitors than all other charity rating groups combined. The organization guides intelligent giving by evaluating the financial health of over 5,300 charities. Charity Navigator is a 501 (c)(3) organization which accepts no advertising or donations from the organizations it evaluates, ensuring unbiased evaluations. Charity Navigator, www.charitynavigator.org, can be reached directly by telephone at (201) 818-1288, or by mail at 1200 MacArthur Blvd, 2nd Floor, Mahwah, N.J., 07430.

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