Tips on donating to help areas impacted by tornadoes
Many donors are seeking ways to help those in need as Kentucky and other states begin to recover from the damage caused by severe storms and multiple tornadoes.
The Better Business Bureau’s Give.org recommends before making a contribution or sending a donation to verify if the charity they choose to support meets the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability and review this list of charities.
Instead of clicking on links that others may send in texts and social media, consider making a cash donation directly through the charity’s own website. In an emergency situation, this is likely the fastest way of sending help. In-kind donations of supplies may be well intended but can sometimes be difficult and costly to manage if the charity does not already have an established means to help distribute them to those in need.
Food banks
Feeding America (a BBB Accredited Charity) is active in providing groceries to those in need.
Crowdfunding
Crowdfunding campaigns are already being set up for those in need. While some may be drawn to providing direct assistance to individuals, BBB Wise Giving Alliance recommends the following tips:
- Give to people and organizations you know. It is safest to give to crowdfunding postings of people you personally know.
- Not all crowdfunding sites operate alike. Some crowdfunding platforms do a better job of vetting postings and projects that appear on their site than others. Review the site’s description of its procedures.
- See if the posting describes how funds will be used. Vague descriptions of how the collected funds will be used should also be a yellow caution light. Thoughtful collections will take the added step of identifying and verifying needs before money is raised.
- Don’t assume pictures represent an official connection to the person or family identified. Unfortunately, some crowdfunding postings may be using pictures of needy individuals without their permission. As a result, you can’t assume an official connection.
- Your contribution may not be deductible as a charitable gift. If a crowdfunding posting is claiming to be helping a specific named individual or family, donors in the U.S. generally cannot take a federal income tax deduction, even if the individual or family is in need. See IRS Publication 526, for more information on this subject.
For more information, contact Alma Galvan at [email protected].
About the Better Business Bureau
The BBB is a nonprofit, business-supported organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. For more than 100 years, the Better Business Bureau has been helping people find businesses, brands and charities they can trust. Most BBB services to consumers are free of charge. BBB provides objective advice, free BBB Business Profiles on more than 5.3 million companies, 11,000 charity reviews, dispute resolution services, alerts and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust. There are more than 100 local, independent BBBs across the United States, Canada and Mexico.