Many people are looking for ways to support hurricane ravaged communities, this is the perfect time to remind everyone that donating cash directly to organizations ensures your contribution is used the way you want it to be.

While numerous well-meaning influencers and friends are raising money through t-shirt sales and social media donate buttons, those kinds of indirect donations mean not all your money will reach the organization.

If you buy a $25 fund-raising t-shirt, only the profit will be donated. That means only what is left after transaction fees and the cost of making the shirt. So, a $25 t-shirt sale could result in only $10 going to an organization.

But a direct cash donation of $25 to a reputable organization goes to the mission of that organization. There may be a small bank fee, but most banks offer nonprofits lower transaction fees than they do for-profit influencers.

Also, organizations on the ground know what items and quantities are needed. They often buy in bulk with discounts and, if possible, purchase through businesses local to the disaster, which supports economic recovery. Cash donations are the fastest, most flexible and most effective method of donating.

Any organization you choose to donate to should have a GuideStar rating, and you can use GuideStar’s free search to see how they rank among their peers. This is just one way to vet who you are donating to.

The National Voluntary Organizations Active in Disasters (NVOAD) also has compiled a list of recognized disaster relief organizations.

In addition to the NVOAD site, the State of North Carolina has set up a relief fund and clearly lays out how the money will be spent. It’s worth noting that any funds set up by government agencies are subject to public oversight and public records requests.

For example, by law FEMA must provide a balance sheet every month, which includes a funding summary, a table delineating the Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) funding activities each month by state and event, a summary of the funding for the catastrophic events, and an estimate of the date on which the funds will be exhausted. These are available to the public on the FEMA website

The FEMA website also outlines every state impacted and their trusted sources for donations and support.