Left: A woman in Chad spent 13 days in a malnutrition clinic seeking treatment for her 15-month-old child. Right: Flooding after Hurricane Helene in Florida.

Claire Harbage/NPR; Joe Raedle/Getty Images

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Claire Harbage/NPR; Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Residents are suffering from the devastating rains and flooding caused by Hurricane Helene and now Hurricane Milton. Wars and conflicts continue to bring suffering to Gaza, Ukraine, Sudan and many other places. People all over the world are happy to help. How do you ensure your donations provide the greatest possible benefit?

These are the guidelines suggested by humanitarian aid experts.

Start with due diligence

Immediate giving is important for immediate needs, says Ruth Messinger, global ambassador for the American Jewish World Service and its former president. But she emphasizes “Never Donate to a brand-new charity that doesn’t have a track record yet.” To learn more about an organization’s track record, there are several resources, including BBBWise, Charity Navigator, the Center for Disaster Philanthropy, and CharityWatch.

Also take a look at an organization’s annual report. It should be on their website (and if not, ask why not). The report should tell you how the group responded to past crises.

Make sure the charity is able to help in this time of need.

“Prioritize local nonprofits that have an established presence in the region,” says Victoria Vrana, CEO of Global Giving, an organization that connects donors with nonprofits that support various humanitarian causes around the globe.

“They understand the needs of their community better than anyone. They are truly the first responders before anyone else intervenes,” says Vrana. When financing locally, “you are investing in the infrastructure of the place for the future. If you help build them and continue to support them, they will be (a permanent) part of that community.”

Would-be donors can search for local organizations supporting a specific cause and learn more about their work Charity Navigator. And many larger organizations, including Global Giving, vet local organizations and then work with them to maximize their impact. Partnerships between local and international groups should be outlined on the group’s website or annual report.

Are there any warning signs you should look out for before donating?

Perhaps the most obvious is that you will receive a donation receipt for tax purposes. If you don’t receive one, something is wrong. The organization should also be able to provide its employee identification number (non-profit organizations and charities must provide this). Government number before you apply for tax exemption). You can look them up ProPublica’s nonprofit database If you are interested in details like executive compensation, revenue, expenses and more.

Also pay attention to:

• Possible fraud: You are being asked to transfer money to a personal bank account
• Social media campaigns that appear sketchy – from photos that exploit people in need to bullying tactics to pressure donations to vague “matching donation” programs
• Websites that appear incomplete and lack budget overviews or essential information about how the organization works and what it does.

Should you send money or other things?

Our experts agree: give money!

Whether it’s a natural disaster or a humanitarian crisis, local needs can change quickly, even in a matter of hours. Providing cash gives organizations the flexibility to support what is needed most at all stages of the crisis.

If you’re interested in providing a specific type of help – for example, children’s health, medical assistance or food – look for humanitarian organizations that specialize in those areas.

Any special considerations in war zones?

All of this advice applies to supporting people living in war zones or ongoing conflict.

And it is particularly important to ensure that the organization is based or works in the conflict zone, says Dr. Paul Spiegel, director of the Center for Humanitarian Health and professor at Johns Hopkins University, who answered questions via email while working in Mali.

“More and more people may want to consider organizations (in the country) that are local, know the culture and speak the language. Many conflicts last years and people should pay attention to sustainability; Providing funding to local organizations that will be there for the long haul.”

There are so many needs in conflict – medicine, food, water, shelter, mental health support – that it’s important to ensure organizations focus on these humanitarian goals, says Vrana.

“We review all activities and all missions to make sure they are fully focused on those things and not anything directly related to supporting the military or anything like that.”

How can I help in the long term?

Conflicts often last for years and result in people being displaced for long periods of time or permanently, says Siegel. Therefore, supporting local organizations and providing ongoing support is crucial. “Once the media is gone, funding decreases and these people often suffer accordingly.”

Whether it’s a natural disaster or a humanitarian crisis, 70-80% of funds go to short-term assistance, and the majority of it is provided in the first few months, says Vrana.

Consider a recurring donation, says Vrana. “It can be about $5 a month. Just commit to it and know you’re in it for the long haul.”

There are also humanitarian crises and wars that never make the headlines, says Vrana, such as in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Myanmar, Venezuela and other countries.

Global Giving recently launched a fund to support crises that don’t receive much global attention, says Vrana, “to take a more equitable approach to supporting organizations around the world.”