In iNews Cayman today and over the past weeks we have published many charities appealing for funds to help the victims of the hurricanes that have devastated especially the Caribbean.

We are very happy to do this but I have to ask the question are their too many charities attempting to do the same thing and how is it co-ordinated between them – if it is at all?

The other question is how do we know they are reputable and how much of the monies collected actually goes to the victims?

Logically it would seem the best ones for our local readers are the ones that originate here. The one local charity missing is from the Cayman Ministers’ Association who is seeking support for people of several Caribbean islands that have been hit hard by recent hurricanes.

The association is asking all pastors in the Cayman Islands to encourage members of their churches to bring in generous financial donations by Sunday, Oct. 1.

The financial contributions will be sent to the Samaritans Purse for distribution.

The press release from the Cayman Ministers’ Association states that cash donations can be dropped off to Agape Family Worship Centre on Fairbanks Road. Checks can be made payable to Cayman Ministers’ Association and mailed to the Agape Family Worship Centre, PO Box 276, Grand Cayman, KY1-1104.

SOURCE: https://www.caymancompass.com/2017/09/20/church-ministers-seek-help-for-hurricane-victims/

From that you can deduce the Cayman Ministers’ Association did not deem it necessary to send it to us direct!

A large part of our readership, however, is outside the Cayman Islands and to address my question: “Are there too many charities attempting to do the same thing?” I have published an excellent article from Business Insider hereunder:

The best charities to give to in the wake of Hurricane Irma

By Leanna Garfield From Business Insider

Last week and over the weekend, tropical storm Irma struck the Florida Keys and several Caribbean islands. As a Category 5 hurricane at its peak, Irma brought flooding and wind gusts of over 215 mph.

Officials ordered more than 6.5 million Floridians to evacuate, and more than 70,000 took refuge in more than 385 shelters. The storm devastated many islands in the Caribbean — like St. Martin and St. Barts — and they now face severe food and water shortages. At least 34 Irma-related deaths have been reported.

This all happened less than a week after Hurricane Harvey slammed into the Texas Gulf Coast.

Charities — both big and small — will step in. But not all charities are created equal.

Charity Navigator, a nonprofit that has independently rated over 8,000 charities, compiled a list of some of the best organizations to donate to in the wake of Irma. Its team considers several factors when giving a charity a score out of 100. These include program expenses (e.g. how much of the donated money goes straight to victims) and transparency (e.g. audited financials prepared by an independent accountant).

The charities that Charity Navigator recommends for Irma, along with their scores out of 100, are below.

Note: Right now, it is not clear whether all these organizations will spend 100% of donations received on Hurricane Irma relief and associated expenses. But in past large-scale disasters, high percentages of donations have directly gone to victims. For Harvey charities, go to website link below.

Local Floridian organizations: Volunteer Florida, Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville, Boca Helping Hands, Heart of Florida United Way, Neighborhood Health Clinic, All Faiths Food Bank, Dan Marino Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, and the Women’s Fund of Miami-Dade.
Local Floridian organizations: Volunteer Florida, Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville, Boca Helping Hands, Heart of Florida United Way, Neighborhood Health Clinic, All Faiths Food Bank, Dan Marino Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida, and the Women’s Fund of Miami-Dade.
Members of the Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida.Second Harvest Food Bank of Central Florida
These local charities have all received scores between 90 and 100, and work in the most heavily affected areas of Florida.

Sara Nason, a Charity Navigator spokesperson, told Business Insider that choosing between donations to a local or national organization is a matter of preference. The main thing to look for is that the charity is an established and highly-rated organization.

“Local organizations will continue to work in the community long after the disaster has happened, as they have an established presence in the community. National and international organizations deal with disasters at a large scale, with an established infrastructure and coordinated teams that specifically hold a skill-set for responding to crises,” she said in an email.

Local Caribbean organizations: Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross, Fondos Unidos de Puerto Rico, Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, St. John Community Foundation, BVI Recovery Fund, Anguilla Beaches, and the Netherlands Red Cross.
Local Caribbean organizations: Antigua and Barbuda Red Cross, Fondos Unidos de Puerto Rico, Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, St. John Community Foundation, BVI Recovery Fund, Anguilla Beaches, and the Netherlands Red Cross.
Members of the St. John Community Foundation.St. John Community Foundation
These local charities work in the most heavily affected areas of the Caribbean.

Charity Navigator does not rate local organizations based outside the US, but these are reputable and have existed for many years.

The Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency also has a PDF for direct donations for IRMA relief at their website.

Islamic Relief USA — 92.92
Islamic Relief USA
Islamic Relief USA aims to alleviate suffering, hunger, illiteracy, and diseases worldwide. Launched in California in 1993, the nonprofit works on a variety of projects, including education and training, water and sanitation, income generation, orphan support, health and nutrition, and emergency relief.

SBP — 93.66
St. Bernard Project
Founded in 2006 after Hurricane Katrina, SBP (also known as St. Bernard Project) works out of a parish near New Orleans. After disasters, the organization rebuilds homes, advocates for recovery strategies, and advises policy makers, homeowners, and business owners about resilience.

Brother’s Brother Foundation — 94.42
Brother’s Brother Foundation
Brother’s Brother Foundation, a Pittsburgh-based international charity, has provided over $4 billion of medical supplies, pharmaceuticals, textbooks, food, seeds, and other humanitarian supplies to people around the world in 149 countries since 1958.

Samaritan’s Purse — 96.32
Samaritan’s Purse
Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational, Christian organization that provides spiritual and physical aid to people affected by disaster and poverty around the world. It focuses on helping victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine.

GlobalGiving — 96.46
GlobalGiving
Founded in 2003, GlobalGiving is a funding platform that helps people find causes they care about. Users select projects they want to support, make a contribution, and get regular progress updates.

Convoy of Hope — 96.46
Convoy of Hope
Convoy of Hope is a faith-based nonprofit that works to fight hunger around the world. Founded in 1994, the Springfield, Missouri-based charity also responds to disasters.

Heart to Heart International — 96.46
Heart to Heart International
Heart to Heart International is a humanitarian organization that aids millions of people in more than 60 countries, including the US, every year. The Kansas-based nonprofit enlists volunteers and works with local organizations to make a high impact on the communities it serves.

DonorsChoose.org — 96.66
DonorsChoose.org
Founded in 2000, DonorsChoose.org allows users to fund specific project requests from teachers in US public schools. Donors choose and give money to a project that they’re passionate about, and then they hear back from the classroom with photos and updates.

The organization has prepared a special fund for Harvey victims.

Matthew 25: Ministries — 97.17
Matthew 25 Ministries
Matthew 25: Ministries is an international humanitarian aid and disaster relief organization that helps the poor locally, nationally and internationally, regardless of race, creed, or political ideology.

By collecting products from major corporations, manufacturers, hospitals, and individuals, the nonprofit provides basic necessities, skill development, and disaster relief. It was founded in 1991.

All Hands Volunteers — 96.66
All Hands Volunteers — 96.66
All Hands Volunteers
All Hands Volunteers works to address the long-term needs of communities affected by disasters. Over the last 12 years, the organization has enlisted over 39,000 volunteers who helped 500,000 people worldwide.

Medical Teams International — 96.70
Medical Teams International
Medical Teams International is a Christian global health organization based in Portland, Oregon. It sends teams of volunteer health professionals to carry out disaster relief, long-term development and community health programs with local partners, ships millions in humanitarian aid to countries around the world, and provides mobile dental care to those in need in the US.

Americares — 97.23
Americares
Since its founding in 1979, Americares has provided more than $13 billion in aid to 164 countries, including the United States. It is headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, and specializes in fighting ongoing health crises.

Direct Relief — 100
Direct Relief
Direct Relief is California’s largest international humanitarian nonprofit organization. It provides medical assistance to help people affected by poverty and disaster in the US and around the world.

For more: http://www.businessinsider.com/best-charities-hurricane-irma-2017-9/#direct-relief-100-15

For a lot more information on all the charities mentioned in the above article got to the Business Insider website link above.

There are a lot of charities to choose from. Are there too many? Do they talk to one another? Do they coordinate their efforts? I still can’t answer those.