Extend A Hand: Japan Relief Fund

By now, all of us have seen the shocking images of Japan's earthquake and tsunami disaster. More footage trickles in every day. If you are looking for ways to extend a helping hand to the earthquake and tsunami vicitims in Japan, check out this piece of info by our friends at Philanthro Productions. Sometimes it is hard to find the right organization that you trust to deliver you contribution wholeheartedly. Clearly, Direct Relief International is a good choice:
 

When a major disaster strikes, hundreds of organizations run to your inbox or browser to ask for money. However, not all of them are as efficient and effective as you’d hope. Philanthro strives to provide some clarity in these situations where chaos, confusion, and unaligned agendas often lead to inefficient allocation of resources. That is exactly what we’ve done with the recent earthquakes in Japan. We are proud to stand behind Direct Relief International, as an experienced, proven, and most importantly, extremely efficient provider of health services for those affected. Not only does Direct Relief’s website outline its relief response efforts, it also provides very clear and concise up-to-the-date information related to: Incident, Damage, and Human Cost.

Here's why we stand with DRI:

• Efficiency: 98.8% of funding went to program expenses with 1% dedicated to admin and fund-raising. In the past 10 years, each dollar spent has provided up to $30 (wholesale) of medical material aid specifically requested by in-country health professionals to care for patients
• Transparency: One of the most impressive features of Direct Relief International is its interactive maps: for Haiti and for the United States, Direct Relief provides a map detailing where it delivers its supplies and how much it spends on particular kinds.
• Proven track record: Direct experience with large-scale emergencies in Asia, including the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami of 2004. This will help guide them to best plan and execute a recovery strategy.
• Based in California: fast access to Pacific Rim countries.
• Endorsement from others: Through assessment of the NPO's performance in response to Haiti, Givewell endorsed DRI for Japan Relief Fund
• Charity Navigator (the recognized standard for charity ratings): DRI is a 4-Star Charity, which is labeled as "Exceptional: Exceeds industry standards and outperforms most charities in its cause."

Go to http://www.directrelief.org to donate.