Cash. It’s the easiest donation to make, and it’s what the relief agencies working in Japan need most right now.
Organizations are asking those who wish to help the Japanese to focus on monetary donations in the aftermath of Friday’s devastation.
The Salvation Army and the American Red Cross are among the groups accepting $10 donations via text message.
To donate to the Salvation Army, which has had a presence in Japan since 1895, text “Japan” or “Quake” to 80888.
Text “RedCross” to 90999 to donate to its fund set up in response to the disaster. The American Red Cross is coordinating with its Japanese counterpart, which is leading the organization’s efforts in the disaster area.
For those who want to have a more immediate impact or can afford to donate larger amounts, visiting a charity’s website is a more efficient method of contributing.
Online donations can reach groups faster than a check dropped in the mail, but donors need to be careful before entering credit- or debit-card information.
For more information about a particular charity’s operations — for instance, the percentage of its funding that goes toward programs rather than administration — check the group online at sites such as , the website of the American Institute of Philanthropy, or , which tracks nonprofit groups.
Scammers already are trying to take advantage of the outpouring of compassion. One fraudulent scheme involves an e-mail claiming to be from the British Red Cross asking recipients to make Japan-aid donations via wire transfer, FBI spokeswoman Jenny Shearer said Monday. Legitimate charities don’t make requests for wire transfers.
Further evidence that fraudsters are seeking to profit from the tragedy is the proliferation of websites purporting to represent charities. Roughly 350 Internet addresses related to Japan were registered in a 24-hour period from Sunday to Monday, according to Internet-security expert John Bambenek. Many ask for money.
“Some are probably legitimate,” said Bambenek, of the Internet Storm Center, which tracks viruses and other security problems. “But nobody can set up a charity that fast.”
