I want to help those poor people in the Philippines who have suffered so much devastation, loss, and heartache because of earthquakes and typhoons. I bet you do, too. But WAIT! Don’t give to the next organization who calls or person who shows up on your doorstep. As usual when there’s a disaster, thieves jump into an emotional situation that enriches them and does nothing or very little to those affected.
There are reputable groups we can donate to, ones that will make sure our donations get to the victims who need it: Catholic Charities, Salvation Army, Red Cross, for example. Before you donate through a group other than these, do your homework. Look up the other organization online and see how much overhead-vs-help they actually have. Some seem to exist only to line the pockets of highly paid executives; others are so shady that they don’t dare list such numbers.
Personally, I think it’s sub-human to take advantage of other people’s misery rather than rolling up our sleeves and doing what we can to help our fellow travelers on this Earth. Such people exist, however, and we need to guard against them–not by avoiding giving but just by being careful.