(Radio Iowa) – Iowans can be very generous with their donations when disaster strikes elsewhere, but they’re warned to look very closely before they leap into sending any money toward hurricane relief.

Lisa Schiller, spokeswoman for the Better Business Bureau, says it’s wise to work with established agencies like the Red Cross which can be trusted to deliver help to places like Florida and North Carolina.

“See if the disaster relief charity that you are interested in has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas,” Schiller says. “Unless they already have staff there, honestly, it may be difficult to provide quick assistance.”

Schiller says the best way to help most organizations is often with money, since it can be hard to transport in-kind gifts to areas with ruined roads and no infrastructure. That’s especially true after the widespread and severe damage caused by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.

“A lot of people in times like this want to donate clothing or food or other types of donations,” she says, “and this may not actually be the best way to help unless the charity has the ability to properly distribute this type of aid.”

Criminals will try to prey on people’s good will during disasters, so Schiller says to be very cautious if you get a random phone call or social media message seeking donations.

“Go to their website, make sure that they’re legitimate,” she says. “A lot of times we see charities that pop up that have very similar names to legitimate charities and there can be a lot of confusion.”

Schiller says a good way to find a reputable charity is on the BBB’s charity tracker, Give.org.