New York, NY – In the wake of Typhoon Ketsana, the South Pacific tsunami, and the Indonesian earthquakes, Metro NY BBB’s New York Philanthropic Advisory Service (NYPAS) is encouraging donors to give, but advising them to give wisely and carefully so that their gifts are put to use by legitimate organizations that are engaged and equipped to support relief and recovery efforts.
“After natural disasters, while legitimate organizations are doing their best to help, there is the possibility of scammers coming out of the woodwork to take advantage of others’ good will,” said Claire Rosenzweig, President and CEO of the Better Business Bureau Serving Metropolitan New York.
If past experience is any indicator, not all solicitations in the wake of natural disasters are legitimate. Potential donors can expect unsolicited e-mails and phone calls from scammers, some of whom may use names very similar to those of real organizations to confuse donors. Scammers often make emotional pleas and insist on immediate donation decisions, with both tactics aimed at taking advantage of donors’ generosity.
BBB offers the following information to help donors make informed charitable giving decisions:
Rely on expert opinion when it comes to evaluating a charity.
Be cautious when relying on third-party recommendations such as bloggers or other Web sites, as they might not have fully researched relief organizations. Donors can go to www.bbb.org/charity to research charities and relief organizations to verify they are accredited by BBB and meet the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Be wary of claims that 100 percent of donations will assist relief victims.
Despite what an organization might claim, charities have fund raising and administrative costs. Even a credit card donation will involve, at a minimum, a processing fee. If a charity claims 100 percent of collected funds will go toward assisting Gustav or Ike victims, donors should be skeptical. The truth is that the organization is still probably incurring fund raising and administrative expenses. They may use some of their other funds to pay this, but the expenses will still be incurred.
Be cautious when giving online.
Be cautious about online giving, especially in response to spam messages and e-mails that claim to link to a relief organization. After previous disasters, there were concerns raised about many Web sites and new organizations that were created overnight allegedly to help victims.
Find out if the charity has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas.
Unless the charity already has staff in the affected areas, it may be difficult to get new aid workers to quickly provide assistance. See if the charity’s Web site clearly describes what they can do to address immediate needs.
Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups.
Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations. If so, donors may want to consider “avoiding the middleman” and giving directly to charities that have a presence in the region. Or, at a minimum, check out the ultimate recipients of these donations to ensure the organizations are equipped to effectively provide aid.
Gifts of clothing, food or other in-kind donations.
In-kind drives for food and clothing—while well intentioned— may not be the quickest way to help those in need unless the organization has the staff and infrastructure to be able to properly distribute such aid. Ask the charity about their transportation and distribution plans. Be wary of those who are not experienced in disaster relief assistance.
Watch out for unsolicited e-mails.
Some fraudulent e-mails supposedly sent by official government agencies, banks, credit card companies, etc. claim they can help hurricane victims get the help they need immediately by expediting insurance claims or donating money. Consumers should report such e-mails to the Internet Crime Complaint Center at http://www.ic3.gov/.
E-mails may not ask for a donation but try to get you to open them and click on an attachment. The attachments often contain viruses or Trojans that track your activity online and give the sender complete access to your PC.
About Metro NY BBB
The BBB serving Metropolitan New York, Long Island and the Mid-Hudson Region is an unbiased non-profit organization that sets and upholds high standards for fair and honest business behavior. Businesses that earn BBB accreditation contractually agree and adhere to the organization’s high standards of ethical business behavior. The BBB provides objective advice, free BBB Reliability Reports™ and charity BBB Wise Giving Reports™, and educational information on topics affecting marketplace trust.
To further promote trust, the BBB also offers complaint and dispute resolution support for consumers and businesses when there is difference in viewpoints. The first BBB was founded in 1912 by advertising executives. The BBB of Metropolitan New York was founded in 1922 by the NY Stock Exchange. Today, 124 BBBs serve communities across the U.S. and Canada, evaluating and monitoring more than four million local and national businesses and charities. Please visit www.bbb.org for more information about the BBB.
About BBB’s NYPAS Program
The New York Philanthropic Advisory Service (NYPAS) is the core program of the Education & Research Foundation of the Better Business Bureau serving Metropolitan New York. NYPAS promotes accountability for local charities, helps establish confidence in the sector, and encourages charitable giving in New York. NYPAS achieves these goals by producing and distributing reliable and easy-to-read reviews of specific charities, informing the public about wise giving practices, urging potential donors to give generously, and helping charities to meet and maintain high ethical standards. NYPAS programs are substantially funded through the generous support of private foundations and BBB members. NYPAS was launched in 1987, and a second, Long Island focused PAS program began in 1995. These two programs were merged at the close of 2000, making NYPAS one of the largest charity review programs in the country.