When Making Donations

Financial contributions are preferred …

Cash donations help to avoid the labor and expense of sorting, packing, transporting and distributing donated goods.
Voluntary relief agencies use cash to meet victims' specific needs more quickly.
Purchasing relief supplies available in the impacted community helps the local economy to recover more quickly.

Donate through an experienced organization …

Relief agencies prefer the versatility of cash donations; however, some have the infrastructure in place to store and distribute donated goods.
To prevent waste, donations of goods should be made only to agencies that have requested specific items.
Coordination with a relief organization is essential to ensure that the right goods in the right amounts are collected, and that transportation, warehousing and distribution will go smoothly.