Three days ago, a 7.0 earthquake hit Haiti's capital  Port-Au-Prince and caused massive devastation to the city.  The death toll is expected to be  in the tens of thousands or worse, and a massive response by government agencies and non-profits has already begun. 

CharityNavigator.org has compiled a list of charities that are responding to the crisis.  Before you give anything to anyone anywhere, we urge you to click here to view to their list of highly-rated charities.


Avoid Newly-Formed Charities, Give To An Established Charity That Has Worked In Haiti.  Establishing a new charity is hard enough, but in a crisis, the odds of succeeding are slim to none. Think of it this way: would you entrust all your savings in a financial firm that just opened, doesn't even have stationery, and whose employees have no experience in investing money? Doubtful. Choose a highly-rated charity with a proven track record of success in providing disaster relief and that has worked in Haiti.

Do Not Give To The Haitian Government.  Haiti is said to have politicians and government officials even more corrupt than our own. And news reports post-earthquake indicate that the government is pretty much not functioning anyway. If that isn't  reason enough not to give directly to the Haiti government, then consider the fact that contributions to foreign governments are not tax deductible.

Designate Your Investment.  Generally, it is best to trust your chosen charity to spend your donation as it sees fit. But with disaster-related giving, you should specify that you want your donation only used to respond to this particular crisis.

Do Not Send Supplies.  Knowing that millions of people are desperately in need of food and water, it is hard not to want to pack up a box of supplies and send it to Haiti. But this type of philanthropy is simply not practical or efficient. Even if mail could get to Haiti, no one is set up to receive these goods, much less organize and distribute them to the victims. Furthermore, charities are often able to partner with companies to acquire large amounts of in-kind donations such as bottled water and new clothing. Instead of boxing up and sending your old clothing, have a garage sale and turn your used goods into cash and donate that to a worthy charity.

Be Careful Of Email Solicitations.  Be leery of people that contact you claiming to be a victim.  Unless you personally know someone in Haiti, anyone alleging to be in this position is most likely part of a scam. Obviously, people affected by the earthquake are in no position to contact you directly for assistance.

Delete Unsolicited Emails With Attachments.  Never respond to unsolicited emails. Do not open any attachments to these emails even if they claim to contain pictures from Haiti. These attachments are probably viruses.

Consider The Nature Of A Charity's Work.  Not every charity is responding in the same way. Some are providing medical assistance, some shelter, some food and water. Others will be more focused on either short term or long term rebuilding efforts. And some are just helping to fundraise for other nonprofits. Think about what it is you want your philanthropic investment to accomplish, and then take the time to find the charities doing that work. CharityNavigator.org provides a link to each charity's website so that you can quickly learn more about their plans to help in Haiti.

Be Inspired By Social Media, But Still Do Your Homework.  Social networking tools like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube and blogs are delivering heart-wrenching images and information about Haiti to our computers and phones. Many of them include pleas to donate. While these tools can have a moving impact and ignite the desire to help, you should not blindly give via these vehicles. You must take the time to investigate the groups behind such pleas for help to assure that it comes from a legitimate nonprofit.

Avoid Telemarketers.  As always, hang up the phone and do your homework, then give directly to a charity.

Do Not Expect Immediate Results, But Do Keep Tabs On What Your Donation Accomplishes.  It takes time for charities to mobilize, to assess the problems that need to be addressed and to develop effective solutions. Donors need to be patient so charities will not feel pressured to plunge in and offer ineffective aid, simply to placate impatient donors. That doesn't mean donors shouldn't hold the charities accountable for delivering on their promises! 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 the organization needs additional support to complete the recovery effort.