MILWAUKEE — The latest news is that devastating wildfires in Maui, Hawaii are prompting evacuations on that island. Residents are receiving advice on what they can do to protect themselves and their homes. In the meantime those donors seeking to help support Maui relief efforts can consider the following tips.

Advice on Maui Relief Efforts

Review clarity of disaster relief appeals.  

Seek out appeals that are upfront and clear about what disaster relief efforts you are supporting.

Look for experience in disaster relief.  

Support experienced organizations that stand ready to provide quick and efficient assistance. Be cautious of organizations that form overnight in the wake of a disaster. Also consider whether the relief organization already has an established presence near the location of the disaster.

Donate money rather than goods. 

Donating money is the quickest way to help and provides charities the flexibility to channel resources to impacted areas. Instead of donating food, consider supporting food banks near an impacted area. Visit Feeding America (a BBB Accredited Charity which works with food banks across the country.

Examine crowdfunding requests. 

If engaging in crowdfunding, it is safest to give to someone you personally know and trust. Also review the platform’s policies and procedures, keeping in mind that while some crowdfunding sites take measures to vet posts, others don’t.

Verify charity trustworthiness. 

 Rely on expert opinion when it comes to evaluating a charity. We recommend giving to charities that meet all 20 BBB Standards for Charitable Accountability found at Give.org.  

The following organizations are BBB Accredited Charities (i.e., meet the 20 BBB Standards for Charity Accountability) currently raising funds to assist Maui relief efforts. This list will be updated as additional efforts come to our attention.

●  American Red Cross

●  Direct Relief

●  GlobalGiving

●  Salvation Army

●  Americares Foundation

●  Catholic Charities Hawaii

●  Matthew 25: Ministries

●  Operation USA

For more information or further inquiries, contact the Wisconsin BBB at www.bbb.org/wisconsin, 414-847-6000 or 1-800-273-1002. Consumers also can find more information about how to protect themselves from scams by following the Wisconsin BBB on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.