It may take some more time to sort out the most effective and efficient means through which to help. Right now, they are unable to get into many areas. Financial donations will surely be needed and welcomed, but until the infrastructure is in place to provide aid, no amount of money will help. The many, many aid organizations mobilizing, however, will welcome having the funds at hand so they can go ahead and purchase supplies, and effectively begin staging to move in as quickly as is possible.

Would suggest that if people already are in tune with relief organizations they know and trust, go ahead and make donations now that can be used to deploy aid and assistance as soon as it is possible to deliver needed basic supplies.

For myself, my financial donations will go to the Episcopal and Quaker relief organizations because I am familiar with them, know they are efficient regarding administrative costs, and generally positioned to provide effective direct aid to meet basic needs locally and quickly. I'm sure there are many other organizations able to do the same.

There will also be long-term needs on a more macro level that large organizations are probably better equipped to handle - and that also have higher and less efficient administrative costs.

If I lived on the west coast of the USA, and was able to offer instrumental or other in-kind help, but not money, I would probably be exploring if I had anything or any services to offer to the fishermen and families and fisher communities on the North American west coast who lost boats, harbors, nets and traps, and their means of livelihood to the tsunami.