Donating to Help the Typhoon Victims? Check out this Guide to Giving

The devastation that the people of the Philippines are facing is heartbreaking and many people want to help, but there's giving and then there's informed giving.

A website called Charity Navigator has this to say:

Some charities that are participating in the relief and recovery efforts are either (1) not entirely clear when we asked them about their Haiyan fundraising efforts, (2)  are accepting designated gifts with the caveat that ‘excess’ funds may be used elsewhere, or (3) are not accepting designated gifts at all preferring to ask donors to contribute to their work in responding to any and all disasters. These charities include: American Red Cross, Global Giving, Save the Children, Heart to Heart International, Plan International USA, United States Fund for UNICEF, World Food Program USA.

If you want to be confident that the money you send to help the victims of the typhoon is going where you direct it, then you should be aware that Charity Navigator indicates that AmeriCares, Catholic Relief Services, Doctors Without Borders, USA, and many other specific relief organizations are committed to using Super Typhoon Haiyan restricted funds only for recovery related to this disaster.

The complete list of charities specifically devoted to Typhoon relief is at the Charity Navigator website.