Hurricane Katrina has been identified as one of the deadliest national disasters in history… Hurricane Katrina has been identified as one of the deadliest national disasters in history summoning the military’s largest domestic effort release that has ever been recorded. The rest of the laborious statistics should now be common knowledge. Anyone within range of a newspaper headline or a television set is aware that our nation is in severe distress.

While most of the people populating the images in the news were unable to evacuate for economic reasons, now tens of thousands of people have been rendered homeless without possessions, food or a mode of transportation.

Long story short: We’re in trouble. While slowly but surely the city of New Orleans is being evacuated, the National Guard and U.S. resources that would otherwise be tremendously instrumental in relief efforts for Hurricane Katrina have been stretched extremely thin as a result of the war in Iraq.

While we can be comforted by the fact that the Defense Department is doing everything they can, it doesn’t change the fact that lives and homes are lost and no one will be able to enter the city famous for Mardi Gras for at least three months.

There is an estimated $25 billion worth of damage so far. To say that figure puts the cost of a college students’ measly take-out lunches and must-have fashions to shame is an understatement.

That statistic combined with the stories people have been recounting to their loved ones all week regarding death, poverty and despair has many students wanting to bounce the little they have in their checking accounts.

In the age of the Internet, unfortunately there have been several scams concerning charity funds and falsified organizations that have mislead the compassionate American public.

Thus, the Better Business Bureau has issued Wise Giving Alliance guidelines to educate donors and ensure that Americans’ financial contributions are given to legitimate organizations that provide the most immediate and effective relief.

The BBB primarily encourages that before you give any money, you should inquire the prospective organization about their finances, operations and implemented programs. This will be the first step in gauging how much is directed to administrative costs and how much will benefit the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Other organizations such as the American Institute of Philanthropy have graded charities from A to F based on their ability to efficiently raise funds and the percentage of their budgets allotted to program services.

According to their recent tests, their top four organizations are “American Red Cross (A-); 1-800-435-7669; America’s Second Harvest (B+) 1-800-771-2303; Church World Service (A-) 1-800-297-1516; and the Salvation Army (A) 1-800-725-2769.”

There has been some controversy in the past concerning the organization that was angrily referred to as the American Red Double-Cross as a result of mismanagement in the relief efforts in the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. However, since changes made post Sept. 11, 2001, that were efficiently executed in their relief efforts after the Tsunami, they have proven to be a reliable organization.

Other tips to ensure those who need it get the most out of your donation are: Never give cash; always write a check and address it to an organization and not an individual. Be wary of new organizations that you do not have a third-party verification for. Also, do not make assumptions that celebrity charities are all legitimate.

While the BBB and the American Institute of Philanthropy have done well to provide relief efforts through financial education, it’s of the utmost importance that we recognize there is more we can contribute beyond what’s inside our trendy wallets and pocketbooks. Donate your food. Donate your clothes. Donate your time.