As with any natural disaster, there is an outpouring of charity from those who want to help their fellow Americans get back on their feet. Donations of money and goods are now beginning to flow into charities to help those affected by Hurricane Harvey.

Those in the nonprofit realm are also warning do-gooders to be on the lookout for those seeking to take advantage of the situation. The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday said many residents hit by the disaster are receiving robocalls from bogus companies warning their flood insurance premiums are overdue.

Those outside the flood zone may fall victim to a number of charity scams, especially those involving crowdfunding sites like gofundme.com. News outlets reported Thursday morning that several gofundme sites had been set up to benefit the Saldivar family, which lost six members after their van was swept away by flood waters. Only one of the gofundme sites was legitimate, however.

“I think anytime you have a tragic situation like this or a natural disaster that has affected as many people as Harvey, people want to help,” said Tricia Pruitt, regional vice president of the Better Business Bureau. “When you’re talking about gofundme and scams, it’s not just with Harvey, it’s any time.”

According to the BBB, crowdfunding sites do very little vetting of individuals who decide to post for assistance after a disaster, and it is often difficult for donors to verify the trustworthiness of crowdfunding requests for support. The BBB advises donors give directly to the people who ask for assistance as opposed to using a crowdfunding website.

Helpful hints

Pruitt suggested always doing your homework before you give to a natural disaster charity. She provided the following tips for those who want to help:

• Verify the trustworthiness of soliciting relief organizations by visiting Give.org to access free reports that specify if the charity meets the BBB’s 20 standards for charity accountability. Pruitt said there’s nothing wrong with requesting information about an organization and its structure before writing them a check;

• See if the charity has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas. Unless the charity already has staff in the affected areas, it may be difficult to bring in new aid workers to provide assistance quickly. See if the charity’s website clearly describes what the charity can do to address immediate needs;

• Find out if the charity is providing direct aid or raising money for other groups. Some charities may be raising money to pass along to relief organizations. If so, you may want to consider “avoiding the middleman” and giving directly to those that have a presence in the region. Or, at a minimum, check out the ultimate recipients of these donations to see whether they are equipped to provide aid effectively;

• Be cautious about gifts of clothing, food or other in-kind donations. In-kind drives for food and clothing, while well intentioned, may not necessarily be the quickest way to help those in need — unless the organization has the staff and infrastructure to distribute such aid properly. Ask the charity about its transportation and distribution plans. Be wary of those who are not experienced in disaster relief assistance;

• Remember that every disaster has several phases — rescue, emergency relief, and recovery. Each part relies on public support and continuing funding for success. The need for donations doesn’t stop when the headlines do;

• For many communities, recovery will be a long-term activity that can take many months or years to accomplish, depending on the extent of the damage. Those truly concerned about helping communities bounce back will have many opportunities to help; and

• Although it may seem obvious, no one wants to experience a repeat performance of a disaster. Areas that work toward recovery will probably also need to develop plans to better respond to a similar storm in the future. Even those that already had measures in place can find ways to improve based on experience.

Verified charities

The following is a list of BBB accredited charities raising funds for Hurricane Harvey relief assistance:

• American Red Cross;

• AmeriCares;

• Church World Service;

• Direct Relief;

• GlobalGiving Foundation;

• Houston Food Bank;

• Houston Humane Society;

• Humane Society of the United States;

• Islamic Relief USA;

• MAP International;

• Operation USA;

• Salvation Army;

• Save the Children;

• United Methodist Committee on Relief; and

• United Way of Greater Houston.