The only good thing about tragedy is that it does have the ability to bring out the best in people. The earthquake and its aftershocks have caused and are still causing devastation in Haiti, yet this has brought about a counter-swell of sympathy from all over the world. Everyone wants to help out, but too much help can cause problems. This is in no way a means to throw a wet blanket on the impulse to help, just some helpful information as to how to focus that help to give the most benefit out of that help. In other words it’s the economics of assistance.

1. Donating Money:
Money is the most efficient way of giving right now since at the moment there at the moment there are no commercial flights into Haiti.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has urged Internet users to be cautious and do their research before giving money to help the relief effort in Haiti.

“Past tragedies and natural disasters have prompted individuals with criminal intent to solicit contributions purportedly for a charitable organization,” the agency said in a statement.

TEXT Giving: many Americans are making donations via text message to help Haiti. The American Red Cross, is taking donations at 90999 (text the word “HAITI” and an automatic $10 donation is made), and you can support the foundation of musician Wyclef Jean by texting the word “Yele” to the number 501501.

Although the above two text methods are above board, the Better Business Bureau notes that this emerging method for donating “is ripe for exploitation by scammers.” It has not heard of any text message scams yet, but they’re probably inevitable. As a result, consumers need to keep a number of things in mind when considering giving by text message as well as by more traditional methods. When giving by text message, the money might not get to where it needs to go for weeks or more, though carriers said they were working to try to speed up the process. “What people may not realize is that it could take up to 90 days before the money actually reaches the charity,” said Art Taylor, president of the Better Business Bureau Wise Giving Alliance. His giving advice: “Follow up that $10 donation by going to the Web sites and donating directly.” Or give to the charity Web site’s directly in the first place, call the charity or send a check directly to the charity in the mail.

Here are some more tips from the Better Business Bureau and the F.B.I.:

• Don’t automatically trust the numbers your friends and networks pass along. Instead, confirm the text message number directly with the charity by checking the charity’s Web site. The American Red Cross, for instance, mentions the 90999 number on its site.

• Do not respond to any unsolicited e-mail messages about giving to Haiti, and be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as surviving victims or officials asking for donations via e-mail or social networking sites.

• Be cautious of e-mail messages that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files, because the files may contain viruses.

• Don’t assume the links your well-meaning friends are sending you are legitimate or represent the best organizations. Before giving, vet the charity you’re giving to to make sure it’s not fraudulent and is best equipped to actually help and use the money responsibly.

2. Food and Clothing Drives:

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 be able to properly distribute such aid. Ask the charity about their transportation and distribution plans. Be wary of those who are not experienced in disaster relief assistance. A trusted organization of this sort is The Salvation Army in your community. You can visit them or the website, for information about this sort of donation, for over time, all of those things will be needed.

Tips on Vetting a Charity:

* Find out if the charity has an on-the-ground presence in the impacted areas.

Unless the charity already has staff in the effected areas, it may be difficult to get new aid workers to quickly provide assistance.  See if the charity’s website clearly describes what they 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 charities that have a presence in the region. Or, at a minimum, check out the ultimate recipients of these donations to ensure the organizations are equipped to effectively provide aid.

(If you’re looking for organizations to give to, check out BBB Wise Giving Alliance’s list of charities providing assistance in response to the earthquake.)