#JustCurious How you can securely donate to humanitarian relief efforts in Ukraine

People gather at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building to show their support for Ukraine. (JasonDelesoy/CTVRegina)

If you’ve been watching the events in Ukraine unfold over the past few days and want to donate, here are some tips for where to start.

Canada’s leading tech expert Marc Saltzman said doing a bit of homework and trust building is key. He recommends sticking with charities that you know and trust with longstanding reputations.

“If they’re more Ukrainian-based organizations, you may have to do more homework, go to their website, ask for financials and don’t be shy,” Saltzman said.

If this is your first time entering the humanitarian relief effort space, then he has a few suggestions for you.

The United Nations Refugee Agency claims 84 cents out of each dollar donated goes directly to those refugees. It has raised more than a half million dollars in just four or five days, as of Feb. 28.

The organization said donations help it respond to emergencies, provide ongoing support to refugees and is available on its website. This is the charity that Canadian actor Ryan Reynolds and his wife, actress Blake Lively have said they’ll match up to one million dollars in donations.

The Canadian Red Cross has a big presence in Ukraine, according to Saltzman.

“They’re also very active on social media to let people know exactly what they’re doing in the country,” Saltzman added.

You can donate to one of two arms of the Canadian Red Cross: the International Committee of the Red Cross or the Red Cross Society.

It mostly supports humanitarian efforts in the country, including food producing initiatives, infrastructure repair and help with displaced individuals. Money can be sent as a one time donation or monthly donation. The Canadian government said it will match up to $10 million donated. You can check them out at redcross.ca.

Perhaps you’d like to donate to a charity in Ukraine.

Saltzman said there are a couple of big ones, the foremost, called the “Come Back Alive” foundation. It’s based out of Kyiv. It’s one of the biggest Ukranian charities and those funds directly help the military and volunteers.

It is aiding soldiers and volunteers with supplies, including cameras and night vision devices, drones and specialized software. The charity also helps support training, psychological assistance, medical help and other projects. Their website is comebackalive.in.ua

The Come Back Alive foundation Facebook page has a number of stories of how they’re helping, as well.

CanadaHelps.org is another popular destination for Canadians. It has affiliated itself with dozens of vetted charities like UNICEF, Save the Children and more. The organization said more than 3.5 million Canadians have donated more than $2 billion to those charities.

“They have hundreds of charities and more than a dozen in Ukraine. It’s another great place to check out,” Saltzman said.