Thread by @joseph__place

THREAD: Where should I donate??

It’s been a while since I’ve done a guidance thread, but I think due to some recent events I will weigh in a bit with some advice. I am not going to tell you where you should and shouldn’t donate much, rather, I am going to explain how to be smart

So, you’ve got some spare money to donate to Ukraine. Amazing! But what can you do?
The Georgian Legion is where we started, so you should never forget them, but there are many others to help. Check this link for some official NAFO affiliates. https://t.co/MlD85IngChnafo-ofan.org/blogs/charitie…

Let’s run through the different types of organisations. Huge international ones, Ukraine gov. Affiliated ones, larger NAFO verified orgs, smaller international ones and smaller scale local and national efforts.

I’d avoid the huge international organisations such as Red Cross and Amnesty because they have not been helpful and are very bloated. It’s not impossible for large orgs with paid workers to be useful. And local red cross branches can be better, but you're better off elsewhere

What about the Ukraine government ones? @U24_gov_ua or straight to the army? Great choice. They may not be as fast as smaller ones in getting things out, but they have absolutely helped provide valuable military and civilian aid. Never forget the raccoons revenge!

There are gov affiliated groups as well like @serhiyprytula and @BackAndAlive, these are also highly respected by Ukrainians. This is a good rule of thumb, ask what Ukrainians recommend and who they donate to.

Once we have got past these, you start to have a bit more controversy and room for scammers. So, what about smaller international groups?

Certainly, some have been very helpful with shipping aid, vehicles, equipment, etc. 69th sniffing brigade for example.help99.co/donate

But how to know if they’re legit or a scam? Well, are they registered? Do they post evidence? Have you heard people praise them? Sniffing Brigade routinely post real footage of their efforts and are very transparent. It goes a long way!

Finally, smaller scale fundraisers, such as individuals raising for their regiment or family, friends etc. This is REALLY where you need to be smart. My advice: check their accounts, are they Ukrainian, if so, they will time to time post in Ukrainian.

If it's all English, it doesn't mean its a scam, but be cautious. Many people have pretended to be Ukrainians. Ask a Ukrainian to chat to them in their language, because if they don’t do this, they are likely fake.

Any Ukrainian will also be raising money FROM Ukrainians, so they should have a monobank jar or something like that, and posting in Ukrainian too from time to time.

Then you should ask them for proof of their work. Ask them questions if you’re unsure. I myself have raised money for small scale efforts, and i welcome as many questions because i understand you want to be careful. Scammers dont like this, they are evasive.

NEVER donate to anyone who has direct messaged you. Especially if it's some beautiful woman/handsome soldier preying on your emotions. No real fundraiser will approach you randomly. They are trying to cheat you.

Check the payment methods. Paypal (which has some protection), or Monobank jars (a UA only way to make money), are more legit than donorbox (the scammers' favourite) and never be afraid to google the details of the accounts to check it matches.

But what about those that DO help but perhaps aren’t helping the best perhaps by pocketing money for themselves? Well, check, what do they do besides fundraising? Are they trying to desperately build a brand for themself? Are they a bit too “perfect” and chasing twitter clout?

Have you heard from the people receiving the aid? None of these questions alone mean anything, but you can build a good picture.

This is when you need to return to asking around. Ask Ukrainians and people here if they know anything? Can they help verify them? And do all the diligence again on their payment methods, what they raise money for, and what info they share.

People ON the frontline, or who are fundraising for the ones on the front line, will know exactly what is needed and have specific lists or items. They will find a way to make it affordable as well where possible BUT sometimes speed is more important.

Maybe you saw something cheaper on amazon but amazon doesn’t ship to Ukraine. Feel free to ask questions if you feel something’s price isn’t right but a real one will explain why they made this choice.

Some things can be bought IN UKRAINE, which is why they may not be wanting you to get cheaper Amazon things because it's better and quicker for them to get something off Rozetka or somewhere else IN Ukraine.

I helped a guy buy helmets from a Ukrainian seller and it got to the front, for example, via nova poshta.Also, any Ukrainian can use the Nova Poshta service for delivery.

If someone is pretending to pay someone to deliver something small to the front from inside Ukraine, THAT IS A BIG RED FLAG. Nova poshta sends all over Ukraine and someone can collect it near the front.

Small scale efforts are GREAT for directly getting to the right people, but are most vulnerable for scammers. If they are NOT Ukrainian, they should clearly show you where the money is going and either be in Ukraine or clearly have contacts there.

If they are Ukrainian and you’re suspicious, check they are who they say, ask them questions. Always ask for proof of purchase or people receiving the aid. Google reverse search images to check its not a scam. All the above advice can still apply.

While it's not nice to be suspicious, this prevents scammers from taking advantage.

If an account, particularly animal accounts, uses very generic looking and VERY emotionally distressing images, it's often a scam. I see it a lot with animal shelters which aren’t real. Google their names, check they exist, how long their account run, find confirmation!

So lets boil it all down to make it easy:

So, there are many benefits to donating to big and small orgs, but just be careful. Trusting people is good, but it’s smart to check. Ultimately, it comes down to asking for advice from others if you’re in doubt. Let me know if you’ve further questions.

Someone pointed out this valuable advice. Scammers will pretend to be accounts and put similar but different paypal addresses. ALWAYS double and triple check its the right address and not a fake profile on twitter too.

@Lurkerfella I added it to the thread. Really important