The Associated Press
OLYMPIA — Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed said people thinking about donating money in the wake of the deadly earthquake and tsunami in Japan should first check the charity is reputable.
Reed said that after Hurricane Katrina, con artists benefited from taking money that was meant for victims.
To avoid that this time around, Reed advised donors Friday to check if the charity group in question is registered with the Secretary of State’s Office.
Reed said that on the office’s website, www.sos.wa.gov, donors can search by the charity’s name.
Several well-known and reputable organizations are collecting donations to help those affected by the Japanese earthquake:
n American Red Cross: To donate, go to www.seattleredcross.org.
Checks can be mailed to: P.O. Box 4002018, Des Moines, IA 50340-2018. Donors also can call 1-800-RED-CROSS or text REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.
n Global Giving: The agency is helping other groups with emergency relief. To donate, go to globalgiving.org or text JAPAN50555 to make a $10 donation. Donations can be mailed to: Global Giving, Japan relief, 1023 First St. N.W., 12th floor, Washington, D.C. 20005.
n International Medical Corps: To donate, go to internationalmedicalcorps.org, call 1-800-481-4462 or text MED8088 to make a $10 donation.
Donations also can be mailed to: Development Department, International Medical Corps, 1919 Santa Monica Blvd., Suite 400, Santa Monica, CA 90404.
n AmeriCares: To donate, go to Americares.org or mail donations to: 88 Hamilton Ave., Stamford, Conn. 06902.
n Save The Children: Donate to Save the Children’s “Japan Earthquake Tsunami Children in Emergency Fund” www.savethechildren.org/ japanquake or by calling 1-800-728-3843.
Or text “JAPAN” to 20222 to donate $10. Donations can be mailed to Save the Children, 54 Wilton Road, Westport, CT 06880.
Mobile giving
Go to www.mobilegiving.org to find codes to text donations to charities, including:
n World Vision: Text “4JAPAN” or “4TSUNAMI” to 20222 to donate $10.
n Mercy Corps: Text “MERCY” to 25283 to donate $10.