I’ve been asked several times over these last few days to suggest ways of donating to Japanese Earthquake relief, so I thought I would post a few links.

Since money contributed to various local charities sometimes takes weeks or even months to arrive at the destination, the best and most direct way to contribute to the immediate relief effort is to donate directly to JEN (Japanese Emergency NGOs). A link to their English-language homepage is shown below. The donations button is shown in Japanese yen with a drop down menu to select multiples of ¥1,000. Exchange rates do fluctuate, but at the current rate, a donation of ¥1,000 would be approximately $12.25. Online donations can be made with all major credit cards. http://www.jen-npo.org/en/involved/donate1.php

For those who would feel more comfortable donating through a familiar charity, another reliable and well organized relief effort is being handled through the Japanese Red Cross. Donations can be made through the American Red Cross: Japan Earthquake and Pacific Tsunami Relief: www.redcross.org. Again, online donations can be made with all major credit cards. Donations made through this program will be divided up among several relief projects in Asia.