From Electoral-Vote:
K.F. in Madison, AL, asks: I’m very skeptical of the kind of grift and shenanigans that may go on with “charities” trying to raise money for aiding the Ukrainians. Can you recommend reputable organizations that will be engaging in this?
V & Z answer: To start, you will want to check any charity with one of the watchdog sites, like Charity Navigator or Charity Watch. You also want to try to find an organization that is already in Ukraine. Any organization that needs the months of lead time to establish a presence there is likely to be too late to the party.
Among the specific organizations you might consider:
- Global Giving, which works very much like GoFundMe.
- Save the Children, which obviously focuses its efforts on relief for children.
- The International Rescue Committee, which helps refugees.
- The U.N. Refugee Agency, which also helps refugees.
- Sunflower of Peace, which focuses on getting medical supplies to those who need them.
- The Red Cross, which renders many different forms of aid, including medical care, resettlement, and housing for displaced people.
There are many others, of course, and you can use the two sites linked above to look for charities that match your specific tastes.
UPDATE – some more verification sites (in addition to the two above) recommended by the Federal Trade Commission, let you verify whether a charity is reputable:
Be sure to check with the IRS if you want to deduct any donation; not all charitable orgs are qualified.
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