(Not sure if this is the right forum, so please feel free to move as you see fit)
Ms Bizz and I would like to make a contribution to help those most in need. Can anyone suggest any organizations that are especially effective?
FEMA is pointing to the TX Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster list of vetted charities.
Money is king. That is what they need more than donated goods.
Thanks, Iggy!
And whatever you do, do not go there to help clean up. They’ve got way more people there than they can take care of as it is.
I believe the Salvation Army is one of the best ones out there.
The New York Times published a list:
However these are mostly the big national charities and Houston area charities. I would think charities targeted toward hurricane relief in the poorer, rural counties might be a better choice.
I would like, if I may, to direct your attention to Operation BBQ Relief.
They are a bunch of volunteers who go to disaster areas and cook up free meals for first responders and displaced people. They are a 501.c.3 organization.
The web page says they are preparing to go down and support Houston, but according to their Twitter feed, they are already there. Also see -
It’s fair to ask of any charitable organization ‘how will you spend my money?’. See here -
Another fair question is ‘am I going to get asked every week to send more?’. They don’t have a page for that (I don’t think), but based on my experience, from my first donation back in '13, no. There are a few charities that seem like they were spending my entire donation asking me for even more. This isn’t one of them.
I was ready to donate money to the American Red Cross until checking out these articles about the ARC’s poor disaster responses and lack of transparency concerning its spending.
I wound up donating to the Houston Food Bank and the Animal Rescue League of Texas (which have top ratings at Charity Navigator).
They’re an explicitly Protestant Christian organization, and so have a bad track record on LGBT rights and generally do things from a Protestant Christian perspective as regards who they hire and what benefits they provide to those they’ve hired.
I wouldn’t give the salvation army a dime!
I will never give a dime to the Red Cross or the United Way.
Red Cross - Every time there is a major disaster a scandal follows. 9/11, Katrina, Sandy. To hell with them. They misappropriate funds. During WW!! they treated the enlisted soldiers like shit. I found this out from my father-in-law that was in the Battle of the Bulge. Officers got free coffee and donuts, the soldiers had to pay.
United Way - After it was revealed that the CEO was living lavishly on UW funds with his 17 year old girlfriend I lost all confidence. Where was the Board while this was going on?
Take it from there.
My daughter and I gave money to Red Cross , I feel they’re the most reputable
organization . The Salvation army is collection money too but I didn’t want to give any money to them b/c they may use some of it to buy bibles ! TV stations are having drives too Channel 5 has one going on right now.
I’l go with that and raise you one. Texas Diaper Bank. Seriously, who thinks of that?
I gave to the Salvation Army and Best Friends Animal Society.
There was some scandal after the 1964 Alaska earthquake, as well; stories about people being charged for blankets and receiving bills afterward for help provided.
Mercy Corps is involved in the Texas floods. They’re normally an overseas aid organization, but have made the decision to help in Texas.
JJ Watt is currently at $16 million in donations and trying for 20.
We looked at the options and wound up with www.globalgiving.org and www.feedingtexas.org. They seem to be a good combination of immediate and long-term relief, as well as large enough to handle the huge demand.
It’s great that he’s raised so much, but I assume he’s going to pass the money onto other organizations that are directly providing assistance in the area (although I can’t find specifics on how he’s going to use the money). So why not just contribute directly to a group that’s providing support in the area?
It doesn’t seem that way. He is starting up by buying supplies and filling up semis with needed equipment. Now that it’s blown up into something much larger than he ever thought he was turning it into a charity giving direct aid to the residents for long-term relief.
I would avoid earmarking any donations I made specifically to Harvey relief. Big, photogenic disasters often get an initial wave of donations that far exceeds what can reasonably be spent, while long-term relief efforts and third-world emergencies get underfunded. If I didn’t trust an organization like the Red Cross to spend money wisely, I wouldn’t donate to it at all.
And it really bugs me that people hold stupid grudges against the Red Cross because someone 70 years ago got charged for a donut. Seriously, go to Snopes or do some basic research before believing everything your grandfather (or father-in-law) said.