ETCF Reminds Donors to Beware of Harvey Donation Scams

TYLER — The East Texas Communities Foundation is cautioning against scam artists and has compiled a list of resources to guide donors interested in helping those displaced by Hurricane Harvey. “At this time, cash donations to trusted nonprofit agencies will provide the greatest assistance to those in the disaster areas,” said ETCF President Kyle Penney in a news release. Penney cites several online resources to verify if an organization is a trusted nonprofit, including Charity Navigator and Guidestar. You can also call ETCF for guidance at 903-533-0208.

Suggested agencies serving the needs of flood victims include:

Greater Houston Community Foundation
Communities Foundation of Texas
The American Red Cross, accepting donations on its website. You can also text HARVEY to 90999 to donate $10.
The Salvation Army (see Salvation Army story on this news page)
Texas Baptist Men
United Methodist Committee on Relief
Save the Children
Samaritan’s Purse

If you wish to volunteer in response to Hurricane Harvey, please visit the Texas Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (TXVOAD) page for organizations that include volunteer engagement as a key component of their operations. “We encourage East Texans to be patient and do not self-deploy, as showing up to the communities that have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey will create an additional burden for first responders,” said Penney in the news release.