please find reputable organizations to which I can donate money
towards the victims of the Asia quake.  I'd like to know how
(percentage of) my money will be spent towards the actual efforts &
how much towards operating costs.  I want "the biggest bang for my
buck",  thanks.

askip --

Thanks much for the invitation to post an answer.  I heard Colin
Powell on TV this morning urging viewers to contact these relief
agencies.  While they may not have been chosen largely (or even
mainly) on their overhead expense ratios, I suspect that you will not
find a better list anywhere else:


http://www.usaid.gov/locations/asia_near_east/tsunami/ngolist.html


Search Strategy:

I went directly to the State Department site, based on the interview
with Sec. Powell that I heard this morning.


Since time is of the essence, I was especially happy to be able to
give you this information promptly.  If anything is unclear, please
ask for clarification before rating the answer.

markj-ga

Here is a link to the page on the U.S. State Department's website that
lists charitable organizations that are actively working in the
disaster area.  It is not practical at the price you have offered for
me to check on the overhead expense ratios of each of them.  Since
this is such an urgent situation, I am providing you this information
anyway as a comment, rather than as an answer:

http://www.usaid.gov/locations/asia_near_east/tsunami/ngolist.html

good enough.  please post as answer.

This link has been posted on the Google homepage:

://www.google.com/tsunami_relief.html

Thanks to Google & CNN, I found a couple of great organizations for
Sri Lanka and India (still searching for the other nations) that have
done tremendous grassroots work over decades and is doing a great job
on the front lines as well.

Here are their sites:

-----------------------------------
http://www.Sarvodaya.org 

http://www.AidIndia.org 
-----------------------------------

I too, wanted to find the right organization for the right job and
then donate the little I could.   Amid all the calls for donation for
Earthquake/Tsunami Aid and the numerous organizations, which
organizations are actually the most suited to tackle the specific
challenges of the situation AND the region?

Thus, after a fair amount of research for organizations that:

* have an established track-record of doing commendable ground-work 
   on an ongoing basis (not just advocacy or occasional projects)

* with a history of working in the South Asian region and it's peoples

* with the philosophy of rebuilding/revitalizing people and communities
   based on sound principles

* working in a partnership mode conscious of not creating a charity
   dependency or inferiority complex

* and finally, with no hidden agendas (including no political, business
   or religious/proselytizing goals) though it is OK if there is a 
   stated foundation on sound spiritual principles that expressly 
   include religious tolerance and peaceful coexistence - without direct 
   or indirect attacks or barbs on other religions.

It's easy to go to any site and make a donation with a few clicks. But
with so many organizations in the picture, it is tempting to go with
the "big global/western brands" and trust all is well. Sometimes that
is the case undoubtedly - but in a situation like this we are talking
more than short-term disaster relief where large-scale, high-tech
logistics capability, efficiency and reach are important. But here we
are talking about appropriate long-term localized solutions to help
rebuild the lives, living conditions and livelihoods of the people in
the affected areas which is a very complex task.

PLEASE WRITE IN IF YOU FIND (after some actual research) SIMILAR
GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATIONS IN THE AFFECTED COUNTRIES THAT MATCH THE
CRITERIA ABOVE SO WE CAN SUPPORT THEM AS WELL.

Finally, give because you believe in genuine giving - not with the
expectation of ANY return - except "What goes around, comes around" -
some where, some time, to some one.  As almost all of the world's
major spiritual traditions have emphasized over the ages.  Some of the
discussions here and elsewhere, about the "returns" of their donations
are rather revealing of our basic intentions and perhaps suggest a
need for some reflection.  (I am not talking about the actual impact
on recipients or "bang-for-the-buck" which is OK.)

Regards and best wishes to all across the globe for a positive,
hopeful, reinvigorating 2005.