You may have somewhat smaller amounts in mind when it comes to pitching in. Regardless of the dollars involved, you want to be certain that your donation winds up where you want it to go.

When major disasters hit, leaders of the major charities issue statements that cash is the most useful. Shipping supplies takes a long time and there is concern they may not reach their destination. With cash, trained relief workers can immediately purchase supplies locally (or almost locally) which also helps stimulate the area's economy. Or, they can specifically organize the shipment of the items that are most needed....no guesswork involved.

Donating to a legitimate charity

Regarding previous disasters, the FBI and other government agencies have issued press statements telling donors that they should be aware of scammers and fraudsters. Therefore, they advise that Americans donate only to organizations they have dealt with previously.

If you have not made a donation recently and/or if you're uncertain about an organization that issues an appeal to help the Japanese, check with one of the so-called watchdog groups. America's largest such evaluator is the Charity Navigator (http://www.charitynavigator.org/) which studies the financial health of 5,400+ charities. It also has interesting lists on its website, such as "Ten Highly Rated Charities with Low Paid CEOs," "Ten Charities Routinely in the Red" and "Ten Charities Drowning in Administrative Costs."

Two other reliable watchdog groups are the Better Business Bureau's Wise Giving Alliance (www.bbb.org/us/wise-giving; click on "For Consumers") and the American Institute of Philanthropy (http://www.charitywatch.org/). The latter rates over 500 charities and has fascinating articles (such as "The Most Outrageous Charity in America"), updates on what's happening in Congress and advice on reducing unwanted mail.

The Japan Society

Begin by checking out the Japan Society at: (www.japansociety.org/japan_earthquake_relief_fund). This non-profit has created the Japan Earthquake Relief Fund, which funnels 100% of contributions to relief organizations on the scene in Japan.

You can contribute online at the above address or, write a check payable to the Japan Society and marked "Japan Earthquake Relief." Send it to: 

Japan Society
333 East 47th Street
New York, NY 10017
attn: Japan Earthquake Relief Fund 

If you have any questions, email the Society at: japanrelief@japansociety.org

Other Charities 

The following charities, listed in alphabetical order, are either on the scene or have long-term rebuilding plans on file:

Action Against Hunger: http://www.actionagainsthunger.org/

American Red Cross: http://www.redcross.org/

AARP: www.aarp.org/foundation

International Medical Corps: http://www.imcworldwide.org/

Salvation Army: http://www.salvationarmyusa.org/

United Nations World Food Program: http://www.wfp.org/

United Way Worldwide Disaster Fund: http://www.volunteer.united-eway.org/

Using Your Credit Card

If you are a cardholder in good standing, you may be receiving an email from your issuer explaining how you can make donations using your credit card. For example, Chase has notified its cardholders that they can redeem their Ultimate Reward points to contribute to the Red Cross effort in Japan -- starting at 2,500 points for a $25 donation. Or, you can simply use your card to make a contribution to the Red Cross and thus add to your points. Check with your credit card company.

$TIP: Keep the receipt the charity sends for your donation. If you itemize on your 1040, you'll need it for backup when claiming a deduction.