[lainde]

Thank you for the helpful link. I was dreading sitting down researching all the big charity organizations. All I knew was NO Red Cross!

[kayak]

Virtually every large religious denomination or group has a relief agency which accepts donations ... Catholic, LDS, United Methodist, Baptist, PresbyterianUSA, PCA (Presbyterian Church of America,) etc., etc. These groups send resources (people, supplies, etc.) to the scene of a disaster immediately then use the donations that come in in response to replenish the funds they have spent.

They get virtually no publicity, or even mere mention, in the media but they are effective, prompt, efficient, capable, and compassionate.

I have been near an area that was hit by tornadoes and my husband spoke with people who were affected by the storms, which hit at 9:00 one night. The next morning, several church relief groups were on site, handing out food, clothing, funds for temporary housing, and other necessities ... all with little red tape. The lines at the government and Red Cross facilities were long and the paper work was excessive.

After hearing directly how these things work, I will only give through church-related relief agencies, the Salvation Army, or groups such as Samaritan's Purse (which is non-denominational but functions as the church agencies do).

[cake_crumb]

There are a bunch to choose from. Her's another site, www.give.org which is affiliated with the Better Business Bureau