Time and again, Australians show generosity of spirit in emergencies. Your generosity is powerful. Don’t let it go to waste.

Every time a disaster strikes, Australians rush to help. It’s a wonderful thing, and it means that agencies like Red Cross get the funds and resources to respond quickly.

But sometimes help can go astray. Emergency agencies may not be able to take up your kind offer to volunteer. The clothes you collect for people might end up in landfill. And most of all, you need to know if the money you donated is helping people.

So we’ve put together tips to help you make informed decisions about where to donate, what to donate, how to volunteer, and even how to help people directly.

Some of these decisions will lead you back to Red Cross, others won’t. And that’s a good thing, because lots of agencies will need your support, especially as disasters get more frequent and more intense.