The first major international event of the New Year was devastating. Just miles north off the coast of Haiti, two ferocious earthquakes rocked the Haitian homestead destroying its infrastructure and taking the lives of many of its citizens and visitors. The impact of the natural disaster was so tremendous that even the residents of the island of Inagua, our closest island to Haiti felt the earth move from the distant tremors.

As The Bahamas stood in astonishment as word of a nationwide tsunami watch echoed over the radio waves, the mere possibility that the Bahamian national would now find themselves in the same pair of shoes as the Haitian citizen had harmoniously crept into the common state of mind. Stories of Haitians being paid in cans of soup for landscaping services and the merciless robbing of hardworking Haitian migrants that walk the streets of Nassau, not to mention the many ethnic slurs that have become a part of the local lingo are hardly anything new. For a brief moment the culprits facing the moral reprisal for inhumane and discrimination breathed a heavy sigh of relief as pictures of caved in buildings and the rubble of the nation’s presidential palace and the Haitian slums slowly streamed into the local news stations.

The announcement made by Bahamian Prime Minister of the release of Haitian immigrants held in the Detention Centre and the grant of temporary resident status is one small illustration of the global impact shown by this natural disaster. Perhaps a more significant example is the vast amount of charity displayed by various governmental, corporate, and charitable groups throughout the eastern and western hemisphere. The Bahamas is no exception as one can witness the large variety of groups on the streets, asking for donations in order to help mend the fractured city.

With the unforeseen occasion to line the pockets of opportunists who use kindness as a commercial element, ordinary wisdom begs for the exercise of vigilance for those who wish to help the nation of Haiti see their way to a better future as disastrous events tend to find their way into the hands of callous opportunist who wish to line their purses under the cloak of charity. Before trusting your hard earned wages into the hands of cunning jackals, we would advise that you take the following precautions in order to prevent your charity from going to waste:

Verify the authenticity of the organization before making a donation…

Corporate documents of the organization should be registered in the designated corporate registry of your country, and should be available for your perusal. Licenses should be available at the physical location of the charity (if you don’t have time to visit your local corporate registry) and should verify that the organization is fit for accepting charitable donations. Conducting an internet search is perhaps the most efficient way of verifying an organizations’ authenticity.

Don’t be afraid to ask questions…

Especially when corporate documents aren’t available for review. You should also inquire about how your donation will be used to assist the victims of disaster. Watch out for general responses, as charitable organizations usually send their donations to a particular group within the disaster area. It is also wise to make donations directly to known organizations rather than relying on a third party to make donations on your behalf.

Do not provide any personal or financial information…

Personal or financial information should not be required by personal who solicit charitable contributions. Such information can be used to commit identity theft.

Ask for a receipt…

Receipts are also a good way to show proof of payment, and should be requested every time you make a charitable contribution.

Be Very Skeptical…

Especially when making donations via the internet or telephone. Emails requesting charitable assistance may be spam email, and it is not wise to respond to the email, clicking on links provided within the email, or opening files attached to the email.

Report suspicious activities to your local police station…

With the large amount of con artists using the Haitian crisis as a cover for their fraudulent activities, notifying your local police station of suspicious activities will send a direct message to any other swindlers. You would also be able to claim for donations made during the fraudulent act.

Always remember that it is always good to support a charitable cause. And it is even better when you know that your money will be put to good use.

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