--- title: Hurricane Harvey: How to Donate As Helpfully As Possible description: Charity Navigator's president writes that it's about more than giving time and money. It's about knowing how — and when. canonical: https://time.com/4923897/hurricane-harvey-charity-navigator-donations/ author: Michael Thatcher article:opinion: true article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-08-31T19:59:46.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T17:14:57.126Z article:section: Ideas og:title: How to Make Your Donations as Helpful as Possible og:description: The President of Charity Navigator explains how your time and money can mean more og:url: https://time.com/4923897/hurricane-harvey-charity-navigator-donations/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ee92ab02b883b8d/6988dc16096a94b10b69f673/hurricane-harvey-charity-donations-navigator.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1915 og:image:height: 1077 og:image:alt: Epic Flooding Inundates Houston After Hurricane Harvey og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: How to Make Your Donations as Helpful as Possible twitter:description: The President of Charity Navigator explains how your time and money can mean more twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt8ee92ab02b883b8d/6988dc16096a94b10b69f673/hurricane-harvey-charity-donations-navigator.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # How to Make Your Donations as Helpful as Possible > Sponsored content. 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Brief (Washington politics, twice weekly), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=731136d6-98d0-4a72-9691-62b45074854d&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1) by [Michael Thatcher](https://time.com/author/michael-thatcher/) ## Michael Thatcher Aug 31, 2017 7:59 PM UTC  Texas National Guardsmen rescue a resident by boat during flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey August 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Texas National Guardsmen rescue a resident by boat during flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey August 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas. Lt. Zachary West—Army National Guard/Getty Images by [Michael Thatcher](https://time.com/author/michael-thatcher/) ## Michael Thatcher Aug 31, 2017 7:59 PM UTC Caring for each other and reaching out to help strangers in times of crisis is innately human. We all want to do good. But at the end of the day, most of us are pressed to figure out the _how_ and _why_ to do so most effectively and with what we have to offer. With the response to [Hurricane Harvey](http://time.com/4922680/hurricane-harvey-poll-texas-houston/), we’ve seen the deep kindness and generosity of Americans — and that [philanthropy](http://time.com/money/4923078/jj-watt-houston-texans-hurricane-harvey-charity/), whether you call yourself a philanthropist or not, is growing in unprecedented ways. Today, communities across the world receive vital information on how they can help through their social networks — unlike disasters even as recent as Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy. Groups that have formed roots here are mobilizing through Twitter and Facebook to enable greater giving. People are texting their friends and families about how they can get involved. This power, in response to [Hurricane Harvey](http://time.com/4921086/cedar-bayou-texas-rain-record-hurricane-harvey/), has created Charity Navigator’s busiest mid-year day _ever_. People are reaching out left and right to learn more about how they can help, and then they are taking the time to research which charities to donate to in order to ensure that their money will be used well by the organization they give to. (We created our [Hurricane Harvey Hot Topic](https://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=content.view&cpid=5239) to provide key resources for connecting with the highly-rated charities responding directly to the crisis.) Since so many people are donating today, it is important to remember how best to give — and to strive to be even better. The five simple steps we advocate for informed giving are: 1. **Be proactive.** Identify which causes are important to you, and be specific about the impact you want your donation to have. 2. **Research** **_before_** **giving.** Narrow down your list of charities by asking some basic questions, like: Is the charity a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public charity? Are they financially healthy, accountable and transparent? 3. **Talk to the charity.** Learn about their accomplishments, goals and challenges. This will give you insight into how well the charity knows where it stands and where it plans to go. Even a short conversation can ensure your time and money go to where you hope they will. 4. **Consider other ways to give.** Once you can trust the charity, determine how to best spend your contribution. Create a budget and consider donating without specifications — monthly, if you can. 5. **Don’t move on too quickly.** Follow up with the charity in six months to find out how they’re using your money. Look for a progress report to understand how responsive the charity and if they can clearly communicate that progress. In times of crisis specifically, these instructions change only slightly. Start by giving to an established charity with a good track record. (The Charity Navigator 3 and 4 star rated organizations can be a good starting point.) Early in a crisis, designate your investment to let the charity know where you would like the funds allocated. Unless there has been a very specific request for supplies and you have exactly what’s being asked for, sending money — even small amounts — is often more useful and impactful than physical objects. But also, be patient and stay engaged. Relief efforts take time. They can last for years and require sustained engagement and assistance. If you are dedicated to a cause and an organization that will help achieve it, again, consider a recurring donation each month to continue supporting organizations that will be on the ground in the affected areas long after the immediate disaster has passed. If you are called to act today, please do so wholeheartedly with those around who are doing the same. You might even challenge your friends, family and neighbors to find ways to contribute to those who are affected, be it in time, money or in-kind donations. 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