Questions You May Want To Ask.....

With so many charities out there asking for donations to be used for Haitian earthquake relief, its important to know the track record of these organizations, their experience in providing disaster relief, and what they have done with "cash from the past" as it pertains to charitable causes.

As far as disaster relief, a baseline question to ask an organization would be: "What history does it have in quickly converting cash into goods & services?" With the Haitian earthquake, every charity I have seen sells itself by stating the money is going to be used IMMEDIATELY to bring Haiti much needed medical/food supplies etc. But if an organization has no history of providing emergency services, do you really think they are equipped to provide immediate relief to a country that needs it as much as Haiti? Do you want that charity to learn by trial & error, literally on your dime? Or, is your cash better off going to charity organizations that have a history of providing emergency services all over the globe? Just some relevant questions worth asking.....

Another thing you should know is that charities that ask you to donate via a text message do not immediately receive the cash, they get it when you pay your phone bill. It could be 30 days before they even get the cash, and then begin the conversion to goods and services process. And then the delivery of goods. Just know that for some organizations immediate means more than a month from now, while for others, it means within days.....

Other relevant questions can be answered from using the Woodward/Bernstein method: follow the money.

How much of the money collected actually goes to those in need? How much goes for administrative costs? Are there any dubious accounting methods?

What a charity has done in the recent past is the best indicator on how it will use your cash when it comes to Haitian relief....