Hurricane Helene hit close to home for some of us at MinistryWatch. I experienced some of the milder effects of the storm in Charlotte. However, some of my former colleagues at WORLD Magazine were devastated. WORLD’s headquarters was all but destroyed. Transportation and communication infrastructure was seriously compromised. The true impact of the storm on Western North Carolina is only now becoming apparent to the outside world.
That’s the bad news. The good news is that when disaster strikes, Christians give.
But where you give makes a difference. I’m sad to say that some organizations use disasters opportunistically, to raise funds, and do little to help people where the disaster occurs.
Others, though, are made for such moments. They have systems and processes to respond quickly and efficiently.
When disaster strikes, MinistryWatch often gets requests from our readers for recommendations. Which organizations are most effective in these post-disaster situations?
Below you will find a list of organizations curated from the MinistryWatch 1000 database. All the ministries below specialize in disaster relief, and they have a 3-, 4-, or 5-star rating for Financial Efficiency. They also have an “A” Transparency Grade. That means you can be sure that they are a solid Christian ministry, with a clear evangelical statement of faith, and that the money you give will go to its intended purpose, which is to directly help people who have been affected by disaster. We have not contacted every ministry on this list to determine whether they are doing Hurricane Helene relief, but we have included the websites for each ministry so you can look for yourself.
Please note, however, that many great ministries may not be on this list. For example, JAARS, based near Charlotte, is not historically known as a relief and development ministry, but because of its proximity to the disaster area, and because of its unique capabilities (it flies planes and has sophisticated communication technology), it is making special efforts in the aftermath of Helene. Steve Biggerstaff is vice president of advancement for JAARS. He told MinistryWatch:
“After 40-50 years of conducting mountain aviation training in/around Avery County, NC in preparation for deploying mission pilots overseas, we are acutely familiar with and invested in the well-being of this hard-hit community and have been deploying aviation-based relief efforts since early Saturday, September 28.
“JAARS has three aircraft dedicated to the Helene response, two fixed-wing aircraft ferrying supplies into Avery County Airport and one rotor-wing aircraft distributing supplies to outlying/isolated people and communities
“Our partner SARDOGS (“Search And Rescue Disaster Operations Group”) out of Monroe, La., has now brought two aircraft to Avery County, a fixed-wing and a rotor-wing, and we’re coordinating their efforts as well.”
He added: “We’re primarily operating in and around the Black Mountain/Spruce Pine corridor, including but not limited to hard-hit Avery County (our base of mountain aviation training for many decades) and Rutherford County.”
I also want to share advice that MinistryWatch has shared before about giving to disaster relief. When you give, please consider the following principles:
The Old Rules Apply. Just because there’s a crisis, that doesn’t mean a ministry that has been poorly run suddenly becomes well-run. In fact, often a crisis causes a weak organization to break. That’s why even in the midst of crisis and urgent appeals, take an extra moment to do your homework. MinistryWatch gives ministries a Donor Confidence Score, a Financial Efficiency Rating, and a Transparency Grade. (You can search on a ministry and check their scores here.) Don’t give money to poorly rated ministries, or to ministries that do share enough information to produce a rating.
Beware of “Matching Gifts” or “Challenge Gifts.” These sorts of giving schemes can be legitimate, but in times of crisis, they are often used to heighten the sense of urgency. Educate yourself about Challenge Gifts and Matching Gifts by clicking here.
Boots on the Ground. When crisis erupts in a far corner of the world, it is too late to establish a presence there. Ministries that are the most effective are those who have already been operating there. They have “boots on the ground”: personnel, partners, processes, and infrastructure. Give to these ministries.
Ask Where The Money Is Going Ministries with a real plan should be able to tell you where the money is going. If the fundraising appeal doesn’t specifically say so, ask. If the ministry doesn’t respond with clear and specific answers, it’s possible it is just using the crisis opportunistically, hoping for a financial windfall.