Ways to help the tsunami recovery

For people confused about how best to direct their donations to the recovery effort in Southeast Asia, The Wall Street Journal offers some advice. Scams often crop up in the wake of disasters, so donors should check the legitimacy of charities before they give, the Journal advises. InterAction.org requires that its member organizations meet certain criteria. GuideStar.org allows visitors to download copies of Internal Revenue Service filings for the nonprofit groups in its database. The site maintained by the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, www.ReliefWeb.int, lists information by disaster. The Journal also lists the following organizations as being among the most reliable in delivering aid: • AmeriCares: 800-486-4357; www.americares.org • CARE: 800-521-2273; www.careusa.org • Doctors Without Borders: 888-392-0392; www.doctorswithoutborders.org • International Rescue Committee: 877-REFUGEE; www.theIRC.org • Red Cross: 800-HELP-NOW; www.redcross.org • Oxfam of the U.K.: 011-44-870-333-2700; www.oxfam.co.uk • Save the Children Federation: 800-278-38