Relief organizations: Cash donations do more to help Bahamas than supplies

TAMPA, Fla. (FOX 13) - The raw images of destruction and countless stories of tragedy coming from survivors of Hurricane Dorian in the Bahamas have left many around the world feeling helpless and eager to aid in some way.

"It is hard as a human being not to be affected by those images and want to help," said Katherina Roqueta, the director of the Center for High Impact Philanthropy, who has done extensive research on effective disaster relief response.

According to Roqueta, the best way to give is to send cash donations to reputable organizations.

Roqueta says each affected region has different needs and sending material goods may not be the most effective way to provide relief.

"It can be very hard to track things, to know with confidence where funds are going, so the best thing to do is look at those organizations that have a track record of responding well after disasters, who are on the ground already," said Roqueta.

Craig Fugate, who served as the administrator of FEMA under the Obama administration, also recommends "cash not stuff."

"The thing about money is that it's portable, there's no transportation costs, and it allows them to localize the needs to what the survivors are needing," said Fugate.

The government of the Bahamas has endorsed the following organizations:

- Grand Bahamas Disaster Relief Foundation - gbdisasterrelief.org
- The Salvation Army - give.helpsalvationarmy.org
- The Bahamian Red Cross - bahamasredcross.org