Looking to make a donation to help those being affected by Hurricane Harvey, the now tropical storm that has dumped more than 40 inches of rain on parts of Houston and 20 inches in southern Louisiana since Friday?
Consumer Reports as well as those in the charity watchdog business advise your donation will go the farthest if made to an organization in a position to help and one rated on how much money raised goes to related programs as opposed to administrative expenses.
Charity Watch has a web page that lists charities it has vetted and that are now involved in fund-raising for the victims of Hurricane Harvey. The charities listed have earned an "A" or "B+" from the organization based on "the portion of their budget going to program services and their fundraising efficiency."
Organizations receiving an "A+" include Catholic Relief Services, whose sister agency Catholic Charities USA has a Hurricane Harvey Response donation page.
Springfield diocesan Bishop Mitchell T. Rozanski has encouraged area Catholics to donate to Catholic Charities efforts.
United Methodist Committee on Relief, also rated "A+," is also seeking donations, as is Episcopal Relief and Development, which received an "A."
Direct Relief, also rated "A," has committed an initial $200,000 in cash and made available its current inventories of more than $100 million in medical supplies to support medical relief and recovery efforts.
Other organizations highlighted on Charity Navigator include the Food Bank of Corpus Christi.
Americares,which has a four-star rating from Charity Navigator, has a web page for donations, as does the American Red Cross, which has a three-star rating.
For those looking to help animals affected by Harvey, the Humane Society of the United States is collecting donations, as well as the San Antonio Humane Society which has created an emergency fund called Harvey's Heroes to help "shelter pet evacuees and strays affected by Hurricane Harvey.