Chabad is now publicizing it's so-called "Jewish" hurricane relief fund. E-mails (Download jewish_hurricane_relief_3.pdf) have been sent out through lists, including the list of HonestReporting.com (UPDATE 9-4-05: and the Jerusalem Post). But, other than to provide assistance to a few refugees, Chabad is not equipped to do relief. The e-mails and Chabad's website do not specify where the donated funds will go. In contrast, the Reform Movement has a website that 1) allows refugees to find each other, 2) pairs up refugees with existing aid and, 3) raises money that is distributed to established relief agencies like the Red Cross. Plus, they have full transparency. Chabad does not. Some may recall that Chabad raised tens of thousands of dollars for Tzunami relief and, as far as I know, has yet to provide an accounting of how (or if) those funds were properly disbursed. If Chabad will not provide trasparency it should be shunned. More importantly, it should be investigated by law enforcement.
UPDATE: The OU has a fund – jointly set up with the RCA and YU – to aid families and communities devasted by Hurricane Katrina. The OU does not file a Form 990 with the IRS and has no publicly available transparent accounting system. It does not promise to give money to the Red Cross or other disaster relief organizations, and the fund appears to be in place to primarily (exclusively?) help Jews. It's website promises that all monies raised will be disbursed to help families and communities and nothing will be used for adminstration or fundraising expenses.
If you want to direct your aid exclusively to Jews, by all means, do so. But if you want to help the hundreds of thousands of non-Jews damaged by Hurricane Katrina – as Jewish Law demands – give to the Red Cross, Salvation Army and Catholic Charities as well.
As for the OU, if it does not make its accounting of these monies transparent, it too should be investigated by law enforcement.