After a storm like Florence, many people could be finding their inboxes filled with emails from organizations asking them to donate to their storm relief fund.
While many people feel like donating is a good way to help, they should be cautious when they donate online. Especially if they’re donating in response to emails that claim to link to a relief organization.
When it comes to crowdfunding people should keep in mind that some sites don’t do a lot of vetting on people who decide to post for assistance after a disaster.
It can also be hard for donors to verify the trustworthiness of crowdfunding requests for support. For people who decide to contribute using crowdfunding, it's probably best to give to people they personally know need assistance.
It’s important to be cautious of claims that say 100 percent of donations will go to helping relief victims.
Despite what an organization might say, charities have fundraising and administrative costs. Even a credit card donation will at least involve a processing fee.
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