World Vision is also accepting donations for relief in Japan

The Charity Navigator is a website http://www.charitynavigator.org/ that rates charities on the proportion of donations that are used for program activities (as opposed to salaries, fund raising, etc.) and overall efficiency. Each charity is accorded a rating of a certain number of stars out of a possible four.

In 2006 Time magazine named Charity Navigator as one of the fifty top websites of the year.

Here are the ratings for each of the charities listed here. Go to the website for more info on each (I am always flabbergasted by high salaries earned by heads of charities....).

American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Four Stars
American Red Cross Three Stars
Caritas Four Stars
Catholic Relief Services (See Website)
Doctors Without Borders Four Stars
Episcopal Relief and Development Two Stars
International Rescue Committee Four Stars
IMA World Health Four Stars
Jewish Coalition for Disaster Relief Not Listed
Mercy Corps Three Stars
Oxfam America (See Website)
Presbyterian Disaster Assistance (See Website)
Salvation Army (See Website)
World Relief (See Website)

THE CHARITY NAVIGATOR website crashed while I was creating this message...probably lots of folks evaluating their options in light of the Japan earthquake)

In recent years, Charity Navigator has become outspoken against what it calls high CEO compensation. At the same time, they note that nonprofit CEO's should be paid what the market demands. They complete a CEO compensation study each year. In the study they have consistently argued that a low six figure salary for a CEO of a mid-to-large sized nonprofit is the norm and should be acceptable to donors. They further argue that these are complex multi-million dollar operations that require a high level of expertise. They are however, outspoken again the phenomena of million dollar plus compensation, which they do not believe is justified for a tax exempt public charity. The comparison of CEO salaries, however, does not rate the CEO's involvement in the company, nor how their leadership has helped advance the primary mission of the charity.

Charity Navigator website is back up

Presbyterian Disaster Assistance Not Listed
Oxfam America Three Stars
World Relief Three Stars
World Vision Four Stars

Charity Navigator post was from me, by the way....

Locally, THE ASSOCIATED: Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore is participating in the emergency relief efforts on behalf of the people of Japan and the Pacific region. As one of the 155 Jewish federations in North America, we are working with Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) and the American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, our national and overseas partners, to collect the funds and provide support for those devastated by this natural disaster.

Jewish Community Federation of Baltimore Four Stars
Jewish Federations of North America Two Stars
American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee Four Stars

...OK, I'll stop now ;-)