DENVER — In the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the need is real, but not all fundraisers are. Before you donate, Denver7 Investigates shows how you can ensure your money goes to the right place.
From her home in Idaho Springs, Colorado, Jess Veit looks through photos of her family home in Redington Shores, Florida, which was flooded during Hurricane Helene.
"It was completely wiped out. It's so hard seeing the aftermath like just through a cell phone screen," Veit said. "And being so far away, it's even harder."
Veit said she felt helpless until she launched a GoFundMe account to raise money.
"All of our husbands — I come from a family of five — are pretty much in construction," she said. "So the plan was to raise money and travel out there and rebuild their home."
Veit is one of many Coloradans with close ties to the areas hit by Helene. Many are now crowdfunding through websites such as GoFundMe. However, experts warn that some people are using fundraising sites for nefarious reasons.
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Donate to help the victims of Hurricane Helene
Meghan Compton with the Better Business Bureau said BBB branches in Florida, Georgia and North Carolina are already hearing about so-called pop-up organizations that often appear after a major disaster.
"They say it's going to go to actually helping the people that have been affected by the storm, or whatever the disaster is," said Compton. "But that isn't always the case."
Sometimes, Compton said, people may have good intentions but limited experience.
"Because they've never really done this kind of work before, or they're not associated with a legitimate organization. They don't really have the means to be able to make the dollar go directly to the cause," she said. "Sometimes, it is just straight-up people that are taking money, and it's a total front for people just pocketing money, saying that it's going to be used for relief services."
The No. 1 piece of advice is to do your research. Organizations such as Wise Giving Alliance, Charity Navigator, and Guide Star track reputable charities, their purposes, and financial records.
So what if you want to donate directly to people affected? GoFundMe has a Hurricane Helene Relief Hub with verified fundraisers.
In a statement to Denver7 Investigates, a GoFundMe spokesperson said the company has technical tools and a team of experts to weed out fraud, and it guarantees a refund to donors "in the rare care something isn't right."
Still, Compton said, some additional risk comes with donating to crowdfunding campaigns.
"If it's somebody that you know and trust and you feel comfortable giving them your money, then go for it," said Compton. "When we start to see issues is when it's somebody that you don't know on social media, or if there are several degrees of separation between you and this person, maybe it's a friend of a friend of a friend."
Veit said after she went through the vetting process, GoFundMe verified her account and she has already raised thousands for repairs.
At the same time, her Florida family is now driving to Colorado to visit while they wait out Hurricane Milton.
"I'm just thankful that they left and that they're heading here," Veit said.
