After the destruction of Hurricane Michael, many people are looking to donate or help the victims. 13 Action News is helping you get your donations in the right hands, and avoid scams.
Florida Governor Rick Scott has activated the Florida Disaster Fund to support those impacted by Hurricane Michael.
The Fund provides financial support to communities throughout the state in times of disaster.
Contributions can be made here, or by texting DISASTER to 20222 to make a one-time donation of $10.
If you want to go through another organization, there are a few things you will want to remember.
Want to help the victims of #HurricaneMichael
Coming up on @KTNV I’ll give you some tips on where to donate, and how to avoid charity scams! pic.twitter.com/LU5Hrim2Sc— Marissa Kynaston (@marissaktnv) October 12, 2018
First, cash is king. Even though you may want to donate clothes or food, organizations say that often creates a logistical nightmare, and financial donations can be better spent on what is needed at that particular moment.
Second, know who you're giving your money to. Some of these fake charities will take your credit card information and use that for identity theft.
You can go to give.org or charitywatch.org, type in an organization's name, and make sure they're accredited by the Better Business Bureau.
A quick trick for checking an organization is to look at their URL. Usually a nonprofit organization's website will end in .org, not .com.
