Real Deal: Haiti Quake Charity Alert

PHILADELPHIA - If you want to help the people of Haiti, relief agencies say what they need most is not goods but money.

Fox 29 Consumer Reporter Michelle Buckman explains how to make sure your donations are put to the best use.

Those relief agencies are conducting search and rescue efforts and providing food and shelter. Later, even more money will be needed for long-term recovery.

But before you make a donation, you need to do some research.

A quick Google search of "Haiti earthquake charities" produces millions of hits full of warnings about scams that are already out there as well as legitimate sites asking for donations.

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Ferman had this warning:

"Every time there's a disaster you have these organizations pop up, people start collecting money, and we know from experience that a lot of those dollars don't go to the victims – they don't go to do anything to help people who have been displaced or hurt. They often just go into the pockets of greedy scam artists," Ferman said.

So, before donating, check out the charity's reputation using Give.org, CharityNavigator.org or GuideStar – three Web sites you can trust.

Those sites also have information on how charities spend your donation.

You want the bulk of it to go to the charity's programs, not administrators or fund-raisers.

Some other tips to keep in mind:

• Give to an established charity – one with a record of success in dealing with disaster relief.
• Also, avoid telemarketers.
• Do not give out your credit card info over the phone. Instead, ask for information to be sent to you through the mail.
• Finally, give online, but only after doing your research. Online donations offer charities immediate access to funds so they can put the money to use right away.

For more information on how you can help Haiti right now, click here.