A guide to highly-rated charities for emergency relief in Southeast Asia

* The web site of the American Institute of Philanthropy has put up this web page on THE BEST WAY TO ASSIST IN PROVIDING EMERGENCY RELIEF OF THE EARTHQUAKE AND TSUNAMI VICTIMS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Here are the contents of the page:

The American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP) announces its top-rated list of charities currently offering relief services to the victims of the earthquake and tsunami that has devastated parts of Southeast Asia. The death toll, exceeding 100,000, continues to rise and over a million people throughout eight countries have been displaced due to the catastrophe. Many organizations are mobilizing to provide emergency assistance to meet the needs of those affected.

The American Institute of Philanthropy (AIP) announces its top-rated list of charities offering aid to the over one million displaced people. AIP, a leading charity watchdog that issues letter grade (A+ to F) ratings of nonprofit groups, identifies the following 9 relief charities, which are providing aid to the victims that receive an “A” or “B” grade based on the portion of their budget going to program services and their fundraising efficiency:

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Americares (A) 1-800-486-HELP

American Friends Service Committee (A-) 1-888-588-2372

American Jewish World Service (A) 1-800-889-7146

American Red Cross (A+) 1-800-HELP-NOW

Brother's Brother Foundation (B) 1-412-321-3160

CARE (A-) 1-800-521-CARE, ext. 999

Catholic Relief Services (A-) 1-410-625-2220

Children Incorporated (A-) 1-800-538-5381

Christian Children's Fund (A) 1-800-776-6767

Church World Service (A-) 1-800-297-1516

Direct Relief International (B) 1-805-964-4767

Doctors Without Borders (A) 1-888-392-0392

International Rescue Committee (A) 1-877-REFUGEE

Lutheran World Relief (A+) 1-800-597-5972

MAP International (B) 1-800-225-8550

Mennonite Central Committee (A) 1-888-563-4676

Mercy Corps International (B+) 1-800-292-3355, ext. 250

Oxfam-America (A-) 1-800-77-OXFAM

Project Hope/People to People Health Foundation (B+) 1-800-544-HOPE

Samaritan's Purse (B) 1-828-262-1980

Save the Children (A-) 1-800-728-3843

World Concern (B) 1-800-755-5022

World Vision (B+) 1-888-511-6589

All of these charities perform favorably in relation to AIP’s benchmarks: 1) A charity should spend at least 60% of its budget on program services. 2) Charities should spend no more than $35 to raise $100.

Contact your favorite charities to find out if they provide the specific types of aid that you would like to fund, e.g., emergency relief, health care, infrastructure development, education, etc.

DONORS BEWARE Americans wanting to help people facing a humanitarian crisis in southeast Asia should send contributions to only those charities with an established track record of helping people in this region. During a highly publicized crisis, it is common for disreputable, fly-by-night “charities” to take advantage of the public’s generosity.

SEND CASH, NOT GOODS Devastation in Southeast AsiaThe best way to help is by sending a check. Cash donations enable charities to buy the most needed type of food, medicine, clothing, shelter materials and other supplies. By buying relief products locally or regionally, charities can reduce shipping costs and more rapidly deliver assistance. Before sending any goods, first contact the charity to find out if they are appropriate and if it will be cost effective to distribute them. For example, during the Bosnian War (1992–1996), 37.5 million pounds of inappropriate medicines were donated.

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Last Update: December 30, 2004