Giving to Emergency/Disaster Appeals
When an emergency need arises or a disaster occurs, many appeals may be made to raise funds for a response. As a donor, you want to be sure your donation will be well used. Here are some guidelines for giving to help you determine where to send your donation.
These guidelines were developed by the International Committee on Fundraising Organizations (of which the Canadian Council of Christian Charities is the Canadian member). This committee is an association of national charity monitoring agencies.
- Donate quickly, but carefully. Stick to one or two charities you are familiar with and trust. Be wary of any fundraising group created specifically for this appeal. Any spontaneous campaign should clearly state which charities they will forward the donations to.
- Support charities which are already established in the disaster area and that have either local competence and experience in disaster aid or emergency response or an established relationship with a strong, qualified local agency.
- Make it absolutely clear for which activity your donation is being given. You want it to be used in the emergency/disaster response. If a charity raises more money than it needs, it can (and should) tell you in advance how the surplus donations will be used, such as other emergencies or where most needed.
- Do not send "in-kind" donations (clothing, blankets, food etc.) unless they are specifically requested.
In Canada, you can check here on our website to see if they are certified members of CCCC who have agreed to adhere to our standards of accountability. You can also get information on any charity from the Canada Revenue Agency by searching on their name.
Give confidently. Give generously.
The CCCC Seal of Accountability indicates that a charity adheres to high standards. Look for the Seal of Accountability when making decisions about which Christian charities to support.
