There are charities, and then there are charities. I've chosen to give to the hurricane victims through Mercy Corps, based in Portland, Or. Here's why: one of their efforts in post-Tsunami Sri Lanka involves paying locals to do reconstruction work. I like that dynamic. And, the late great Worth Magazine (where I was a contributing editor) named them one of America's best charities, in part because they are fiscally responsible and have good business sense. Only 8% of what you give will be eaten up by adminsitrative costs, which is a hell of a good rate of "return" for both you and the hurricane victims. You can go here to drop a c-note on them.
Craigslist is also a good way to offer aid directly to individuals, if, for example, you have a granny apartment to offer as temporary housing, or temporary employment to offer. Think creatively. (I'll be posting at greater length about Katrina's impact on business over at Kerabu.)
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