The message today is simple.

Give to organizations that can help the people of Haiti in the aftermath of last week’s magnitude-7 earthquake.

The problem for many Americans is knowing who to trust when giving aid, particularly following some of the frauds attempted during the Southeast Asia tsunami in 2004.

The American Red Cross continues to be one of the best charities at getting your money to doing the most good. It offers an array of aid, from food to comfort to even helping the helpers.

Catholic Relief Services is focusing on shipping food to Haiti. Most Haitians are Roman Catholic. Other faith-based organizations, such as the United Methodist Committee on Relief and Lutheran World Relief, are trustworthy, too.

A key nonsectarian player in Haiti relief is the International Rescue Committee, an organization founded at the suggestion of Albert Einstein himself. It has experience helping refugees of war and natural disasters.

InterAction is a coalition of U.S.-based international nongovernmental organizations. It has a list of agencies at www.interaction.org/crisis-list/earthquake-haiti. The long list ranges from the United Way to Habitat for Humanity.