Bobert, I've actually been writing about this here in the threads quite a bit lately.

There was this thread from before Xmas.

I also collected a bunch of really good info a couple of days ago with links to websites you can use to evaluate different charitable organizations here.

Sorry Susan, but I can't agree that Red Cross meets the criteria Bobert is asking about. Also, I think you should tell people you worked for them when you try and convince people here to donate to them. It doesn't seem ethical to me to say "donate to Red Cross" and then not tell people you worked for them. That is the essence of "conflict of interest" even when you don't personally gain financially from recommending them. It isn't always about personal gain with this sort of thing. It's a question of trying to get people to donate to the organization YOU like best.

Bobert, as I said in the other thread on disaster relief, you first need to decide what you want to have done with your donation dollars. Do you want to go to women & children? Do you want it to go to medical assistance? Do you want it to go to short term, temporary infrastructure (setting up displacement camps, that sort of thing) or long-term rebuilding efforts?

There is no one organization that does it all, at least that does a good job of doing it all. Also, beware with religious organizations. They often attach strings based upon their religious values that you not only may not agree with, but might be appalled by!

For medical relief, I don't think anyone does it better than MSF/Doctors W/out Borders. Not only do they do an excellent job with the money they have (low overhead, most dollars go straight to field operations), but they will also speak out on abuses on the ground in the regions they work in, which very few charitable organizations will do. They don't want to rock the boat with the locals, and ruffle the feathers of politicians they rely upon to support them. But then, to be honest, they can afford to get away with speaking out--they are doctors, and no one can afford to send them away, in most cases.

Good luck. It is a fascinating thing, this international disaster relief thing. If you are at all interested in it, you can find a lot of really good, enlightening information on the web. Most people just send the money off to a charity they have heard of, like Red Cross, without doing the homework. Too often, those big name organizations do a lousy of job with the administrative vs field costs of delivering services. I think we can and must do much, much better than that, so I'm behind your effort to find quality charitable organizations to get the best bang for your donation buck.

I wish everyone would do that.