Toxic Charity #4.1: Making charity less toxic:

• Work through an agency that understands the local people and situation. Agencies have to be selected carefully. There are three basic criteria, but they are not necessarily coordinated.
  
  • First, it is of the utmost value if the agency is indigenous. If the leaders are a part of and come out of the group that is being served they will be less likely to allow an outside group be condescending or helpful in an unhelpful way.
    
  • Second, you need an agency that has a track record for working well with local people and with outside groups that need to have sense of accomplishment.
    
  • Look for agencies that are not just good at caring, but also good at organizing. As I've said elsewhere, there is no greater enthusiasm killer than getting to a work site and find neither a valuable project nor materials needed to do whatever the assigned job is. Some time can and needs to be spent getting acquainted, getting a tour and so forth, but your group needs to be productive fairly quick on the first day.