# Who would you donate Texas hurricane relief money to? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [September 1, 2017, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262 "2017-09-01T18:25:32Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hoops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoops/32/6408_2.png) [@Hoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoops)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 6:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/1 "2017-09-01T18:25:32Z")
Title says it all, really. Of course, the Red Cross is an obvious option, but I have seen it bandied about that it might be better to donate directly to a local area charity or at least an organization experienced with the area. Recommendations (including _go with the Red Cross_) gladly accepted! ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/2 "2017-09-01T18:38:40Z")
With many charities, the money that you donate will be partially sucked away to pay for things like overhead costs. If it’s just a small sum of money that you plan on giving, then give it as directly as possible with as few middlemen in between as you can, especially if you personally know the person in need. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/3 "2017-09-01T18:45:09Z")
I always give to the Salvation Army. The reason is most of the monies get to the people. ---
**Author:** ![ioioio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ioioio/32/316_2.png) [@ioioio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ioioio)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 7:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/4 "2017-09-01T19:04:00Z")
Two of my favorite disaster-related charities are: - [Shelter Box USA](https://www.shelterboxusa.org/) - [Search Dog Foundation](https://searchdogfoundation.org/hurricane-harvey/) An article about Shelter Box’s Hurricane Harvey work: [http://www.keyt.com/news/santa-barbara-s-county/shelterbox-mobilizing-shipment-of-life-saving-shelters-to-texas/613942268](http://www.keyt.com/news/santa-barbara-s-county/shelterbox-mobilizing-shipment-of-life-saving-shelters-to-texas/613942268) ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/5 "2017-09-01T19:24:12Z")
There is an existing thread: [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=20451733](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?p=20451733) ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/6 "2017-09-01T19:49:52Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > With many charities, the money that you donate will be partially sucked away to pay for things like overhead costs. _Every_ organization (government, for profit corporation or non-profit organization) has overhead costs. So what is the alternative? ---
**Author:** ![Hoops](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hoops/32/6408_2.png) [@Hoops](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hoops)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/7 "2017-09-01T20:04:05Z")
Sorry for the duplicate thread; I’ll ask a mod to close it. I think I will go with [The United Way of Greater Houston.](https://www.unitedwayhouston.org) Thanks everyone for your suggestions! ---
**Author:** ![PastTense](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pasttense/32/14550_2.png) [@PastTense](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PastTense)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/8 "2017-09-01T20:12:05Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > _Every_ organization (government, for profit corporation or non-profit organization) has overhead costs. So what is the alternative? It’s a question of bang for the buck; a large percent of charitable organizations spend a large fraction of expenses on overhead. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [September 1, 2017, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/9 "2017-09-01T20:19:25Z")
Let’s say that there are two charities that try to improve life for people in a very poor part of the world. One just buys food and goods like mosquito nets and ships it there for distribution by whatever means possible. It has low overhead. The other does detailed analyses of various programs, both ones that are just proposed and others that are underway, to determine their effectiveness. As a result, this group has a higher level of overhead. If you’re just judging organizations by the level of overhead, you’d donate to the first group, even if the second is more effective overall. ---
**Author:** ![kopek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kopek/32/337_2.png) [@kopek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kopek)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/10 "2017-09-02T01:05:34Z")
> [@eenerms](#): > > I always give to the Salvation Army. I would go Sallies as well. I still hold a grudge against the Red Cross and a couple of the other biggies from the experiences of a couple relatives as POWs in WW II. The Sallies were the only ones above reproach in their experience and that still means something to me even though all of them are long gone. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/11 "2017-09-02T13:28:51Z")
Mercy Corps. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/12 "2017-09-02T15:32:17Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > I would go Sallies as well. I still hold a grudge against the Red Cross and a couple of the other biggies from the experiences of a couple relatives as POWs in WW II. The Sallies were the only ones above reproach in their experience and that still means something to me even though all of them are long gone. Think it’s 83 cents of 1.00 donation goes to those in need. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/13 "2017-09-02T16:06:49Z")
My wife has colleagues in Houston animal rescue/shelters, so she ordered $100 of pet supplies (notably 6-foot leashes/leads) from Amazon and it’s being delivered there as we speak. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/14 "2017-09-02T18:12:45Z")
> [@kopek](#): > > I still hold a grudge against the Red Cross and a couple of the other biggies from the experiences of a couple relatives as POWs in WW II. Not to derail the thread but this sounds like an interesting story, would you like to elaborate? ---
**Author:** ![Alan\_Smithee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/2acd7d/32.png) [@Alan\_Smithee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alan_Smithee)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2017, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/who-would-you-donate-texas-hurricane-relief-money-to/795262/15 "2017-09-02T18:58:48Z")
As I said in the other thread, I wouldn’t. I mean, I’ve given to the Red Cross and Mercy Coprps before (and I honestly need to budget a little better and start giving to charity more regularly), but I would avoid earmarking my donation for the latest disaster that happens to be on the tv. After 9/11, families of victims got huge payouts from the Red Cross while important relief efforts around the world starved for funds because so many people earmarked their donations, and it became a PR nightmare when the RC said they wanted to reserve the right to spend money where it was needed most.