Fighting Fraud
By Better Business Bureau® Serving Greater Cleveland
In September, Hurricane Ian became the first Category 4 storm to impact Southwest Florida since Hurricane Charley in 2004. Pictures distributed by major news outlets the morning after the storm show a path of the devastation caused by flooding and wind damage. As survivors are rebuilding, area residents may want to open their pocketbooks to support cleanup efforts for this and future storms. To help those seeking to make donations to those impacted by hurricanes, Better Business Bureau® Serving Greater Cleveland (BBB®) is partnering with BBB Wise Giving Alliance to provide the following tips when considering an appeal for charitable donations.
- Is the disaster request clear? The appeal should clearly identify what disaster relief activities you are supporting. There are many possibilities such as temporary shelter, food, medical care, and other emergency needs. Don’t assume what the group does based solely on their name.
- Does the charity already have a presence in the impacted area? Charities that already have support staff in the impacted areas are more likely to deliver help quickly at a time of immediate need.
- Is the charity an experienced relief organization? Experienced relief organizations will be able to provide help with greater speed and efficiency than a newly created effort.
- If considering crowdfunding, do you know its procedures? Some crowdfunding sites take measures to vet postings after a disaster, others don’t. Review the site’s policies and procedures to find out. If in doubt, it is always safest to donate to people who you personally know and trust.
- Does the organization meet the 20 BBB Charity Standards? We recommend donating to charities that meet all 20 of the BBB Standards for Charity Accountability. Visit BBB’s Give.org to access free evaluative reports on charities.
Consumers can also visit Give.org to read more tips about charitable giving after a hurricane. For more tips about supporting charities in general, click here. To read tips about charitable donations of goods click here. If you are a business owner thinking about making a charitable donation, read more on BBB.org.
Questions? Reach out to your BBB at 216.241.7678 or [email protected]. Have a scam to report? Report it to BBB.org/ScamTracker. At BBB.org, consumers can read more about job scams, including online interview swindles at BBB.org.
