The recent firestorms here in California have caused me to give a bit more consideration to where I make contributions. Since I wrote a couple of blogs (California Fire Active Rain Roll Call and Disaster Relief for the California Fire Victims here on Active Rain about the catastrophic event, I've received some requests from people asking where they can send their donations. That depends on whether you are donating tangible goods or money.
If you are considering making a charitable donation of money, it's always a good idea to check out the charity that you are sending your money to. In the past, I was in a position at a church where I needed to evaluate whether our church would contribute to various organizations. We tried to find charities that stayed below 10% operating expenses. Since the American Red Cross was the organization that mobilized quickly in our area, I thought it might be interesting to check out their stats.
Don't let that first number deceive you. If you check out the glossary on the site, you'll find that it's really a good thing. This is actually the percentage of the total budget of the charity that they spend on the programs and services they deliver. The percentage is arrived at by dividing the charity's program expenses by its functional expenses. So using the 10% rule of thumb, the American Red Cross would pass the test for monetary giving.
Now, if you're thinking about making gifts in kind, the American Red Cross is not the place to go. I found this out this weekend when I showed up at two of the shelters in Orange County with games and toys and was turned away...and I was not alone. The best resources I've found so far are larger churches in the areas of the disasters. Saddleback Church in Rancho Santa Margarita was conducting a drive, however, they received so many gifts of clothing and furniture and food, that they are no longer accepting this type of donations. Coast Hills Community Church in Aliso Viejo is teaming with a church in Rancho Bernardo to coordinate donations of material goods. They are currently collecting the following items for distribution to the firestorm victims in Rancho Bernardo:
New Sheets any size
New Bath & dish towels
New pillows
New blankets
Brooms
Diapers - all sizes
New reading materials/books for adults
Volunteers are also needed. Click here to find out how you can help.
Marlene, the media have already moved on from the California wildfires as a story, so I appreciate your post. I googled "california relief effort" after reading it, and found that Nascar's Jimmy Johnson and his motorsports team donated their Sunday winnings at the Atlanta Motor Speedway to the Red Cross, earmarked for the California wildfire relief effort. Sponsors Lowes and Sonic Automotive matched their donation, for a total gift of more than $1,000,000. That's corporate responsibility.
The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster, please do so at the time of your donation. Call 1-800- REDCROSS or 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish). Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting 
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