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Comment by melling | Hacker News Reader

There are so many relief organizations. I often wonder which ones are the most effective and most efficient. I also wonder which one's would be most effective in Japan at this time.

I Googled and got a list.

http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20473235,00.html

People like to help but I think we could all do more if we understood the problem better. Often donated money isn't used for the current disaster but is used for another one.

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I completely get your point & at the same time it's really important not to be paralyzed by the need to make "the perfect choice" and act quickly in a moment of urgency.

There needs to be balance between taking some time to make an informed decision and acting today rather than pushing it away for later!

That's right there needs to be balance. There currently isn't any. I'm asking the HN crowd if they have any insight into the most effective ways to donate.

I found this site that seems to be reputable.

http://charitywatch.org/

[update]

I found a direct link on the site related to the earthquake in Japan. World Vision is listed along with others.

http://charitywatch.org/hottopics/JapanTsunami2011.html

This site does say people should wait to give while the situation is being assessed.

Another useful site I've found for helping you figure out where the money goes, etc. is http://www.charitynavigator.org -- IIRC, I first heard of it in the wake of the 2004 tsunami off of Thailand, and it's been a helpful resource ever since.

Do you know how long it takes for your donation to have the impact you expect it should?

Does a day make a difference? A week? A month?

I don't know the answer to that, but I'd like to, but not enough to do the research myself.

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