LOOK WHO IS TAKING YOUR UKRAINE DONATIONS -

LOOK - This picture is from World Central Kitchen, one of many charities providing relief for people fleeing the war in Ukraine. But its website states: "For each credit card transaction, our payment processor - Classy Pay powered by Stripe - charges 2.2% + $0.30 transaction fee for Visa, Mastercard, and Discover; An additional 1% fee is added for American Express; An additional 1% fee is added for international payments. There is a Classy fee of 2% on all transactions."

LOOK - The website Nerdwallet says: "The fees come straight out of your donation. For example, a charitable donation using a Visa card will carry a fee of 10 cents plus 1.35% of the amount of the transaction. A $100 donation, therefore, will net the charity $98.55. The fee on a Mastercard is 10 cents plus 2%, so a $100 donation results in $97.90 going to the charity. American Express and Discover have fees of 2.25% for certain donations."

LOOK - The website Donorbox says: "The standard rate for PayPal processing fees is 2.9% and $0.30 per donation. Eligible nonprofit organizations can apply to receive the discounted nonprofit fee of 2.2% and $0.30 per donation."

LOOK - The UK site JustGiving says: "Our payment processing fee is 1.9% + £0.20 which covers card provider charges, set by external card providers and is in line with industry standards. If the donation is made in another currency, then the processing fee is 2.90% + £0.20."

WHY? Why are financial companies CHARGING CHARITIES so much for accepting money DONATED BY YOU?

Banks and credit companies pay each other interchange fees for transactions, set by networks such as Visa and Mastercard. They won't tell you what they are but they are less than they charge you and the charities. Visa and Mastercard have pulled out of Russia but still charge for donations to charities helping Russia's victims.

Let's tell these companies that unless they immediately stop taking money out of the mouths of women and children fleeing injury and death, we will lobby our lawmakers to force them.

I am supposed to be a hard-bitten business journalist but my insides churn as I see on TV every day children the same ages as my grandchildren - eight, six, five and 11 months - suffering unforgettable fear and hardships. Many directors of these financial companies have children. Don't they feel what I feel?

Act now! Let's take this money back from those companies and GIVE IT TO THE MOTHERS AND CHILDREN.