American National Red Cross

The American Red Cross has consistently proven to be a beacon of hope and support in times of crisis. I have a vivid childhood memory of being in the midst of a hurricane, and even then, Red Cross volunteers were going door-to-door, checking on neighbors and ensuring their safety. This personal experience solidified my understanding of their dedication and commitment.

Even now, whenever disaster strikes, the Red Cross is invariably among the first on the scene, providing vital aid and comfort to those in need. Their rapid response and unwavering support make a tangible difference in the lives of countless individuals and families during their most vulnerable moments.

Because of their consistent and impactful work, the American Red Cross is one of my top choices for charitable donations. I know that my contribution will be used effectively to support their crucial mission of alleviating human suffering in the face of emergencies. I highly recommend supporting this organization.

Today at 4 worldtrade center,my daughter was there to donate. She has always donated in the past and since she works on another floor it was a perfect situation. She is also mobilized in a wheelchair. A heavy set staff, told her that it will be challenging for him to draw her blood.Seriously !!! Blood donors are a gift, no staff should be saying that . I am also a donor and many times i got staff with attitude... train your staff ..So Sad. Fyi her B.P was high so she left.

Just tried to donate blood and am now having to drain my blood in my kitchen sink now. My doctor sent me to Red Cross saying my hemoglobin count was too high which is causing my blood pressure to be a above average. When I went in the told me to get out and go talk to my doctor to try to get my blood pressure lowered because my blood pressure was 2 points over. I told them I did and that's why I'm here, I need to lower my blood count with them per my doctor. They told me to get lost and that maybe if I just sleep one night that maybe my blood cell count will magically drop, so now I'm having to watch youtube videos on how to drain my blood in my sink. Thanks for your help Red Cross

Horrible, gave me false test results which cost me money to verify their screw up.

I have been making blood and platelets donations to American Red Cross for years (more than 40 donations of blood or platelets), yet the organization has NEVER sent the promised gifts or offers they tell you. We were contacted again about 2 weeks ago and we’re “offered” a gift card, but even though we donated platelets a few days later, we still have not received the promised offer.

They use false advertising and deceptive promises of incentives. I can’t be the only one this happens to (my wife also has donated for years, and has not received the “offers” either).

I think they should make it clear in their messages and advertisements that many times or MOST times or ALWAYS they fail to provide what they “offer”.

Would rate a zero but there isn't lower than a 1. Years ago was only helped $25 for family of 3 complete home vehicle loss to fire with a small child in home. This year wind damaged displaced all 4 adults 3 animals. One disabled adult another A united States Military Veteran who served honorably for this country.. and they claimed after a week almost of not asking for help but supporting all ourselves on credit cards, and all going to be on street tomorrow that some structural damage and can't restore power yet due to wind damage that as of tomorrow 11 am all credit resources run out. That is not up to thier standards to help even a day. Hoping now a Hispanic American foundation will help, due to one family member being a Hispanic American. We have donated regularly blood and financial to Red Cross over the course of our lives. Don't give them a penny because when you need help they won't help you. I will be sitting on the street in my wheelchair. No thank you Red cross! Our Veteran family member will still donate his blood twice or more a year despite this. Its shameful.

I made an appointment to donate a whole blood at 12:30PM of 12/30/2021 at Hawthorne-Fortitude Mansonic Lodge No. 200 in Ramsey, NJ. I went there 10 minutes earlier. I found nothing was ready to accept bloods. A person who was setting up asked me to wait for 10 minutes. Since I came earlier, I was willing to wait for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, I came back and found nothing was ready at all. A person asks me to wait for another 15 minutes. I really think it won't be ready within 15 minutes. Thus, I left. A staff was saying she was not responsible for that. I did not go all the way down to her that nonsense. While American Red Cross states they need more blood donation around this time, the staffs at the donation center do not seem to care the donator’s time. Please train staffs at the training center and respect the donor’s time. Please remember that we voluntarily come to the donation center to help the sick people.

The red cross canceled my appointment to give blood tomorrow because I said I would not wear a mask. They dont want the blood of an unvaccinated, no drug using, no alcohol consuming patriot because I wont wear a mask...I guess they dont really need blood then. I mean I figured they would being that there has been so many earthquakes, fires, and storms. But I guess they can only use deoxygenated blood for those victims.

They cancelled the Quincy drive hours after my appointment in June 2021. Waste of time and they are very unprofessional about responding to inquiries with their main office

The Red Cross was there for me when I lost my house to Hurricane Floyd. They came in when no one else did and gave so much help and hope. Thank you Red Cross!!

why hasnt the RedCross done more in haiti? so many people donated yet few people have shelter to this day? answers please!!

I often wonder if what I donate makes any difference. With the news stories about accountability at this nonprofit, I just can't donate to the red cross any more in good conscience.

Great organization! Transparent. Helped my niece during floods. Very helpful.

On February 25 and 26 a tornado partly destroyed the house of a family I have ties with.they don't have enough money to rebuild and I want to donate something to help them.it didn't happen in the US, this is also my family and I have to contribute.that's why I doing anything I can so that they could money to rebuild.it is an emergency.

I began volunteering for the Red Cross almost 15 years ago in Germany as a participant in the dental assistant training program. The Red Cross changed my life at that point. I had no career path to speak of and the Red Cross gave me an employable skill and future. I continued volunteer for the Red Cross until I was offered a paid position at a dental clinic. I then took a break from the Red Cross for several years while I worked and raised my children. Two years ago I found myself again overseas this time in South Korea. I was able to use my skills from my initial experience with the Red Cross to help teach other dental assistants. I was also trained to be a CPR instructor and have been volunteer teach CPR classes for two years. The Red Cross is an amazing organization that has helped me grow into the person I wanted to be and I am forever grateful.

American Red Cross and the Service to the Armed Forces department truly care about the military and their families. The Red Cross deploys with the military and are assigned with the military overseas and in the US to ensure that they have the needed emergency communications

I am one of the 20 some Pet Visitation Volunteers at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. It is one of the BEST jobs in the world. The Red Cross runs a tight program assuring that all the dogs and handlers are fully qualified. There are many rules but the rewards are even greater.

I have done pet visitation for a number of years with another organization but nothing prepared me for the experience of serving our nation's military and their families. It is an honor and a privilege. As you might expect, dogs in a hospital/clinic situation requires some careful coordination. The Red Cross staff and our Pet Therapy volunteers work closely together to make sure patient requests for pet visitation are filled and any problems are addressed promptly.

In addition to the Pet Therapy at Walter Reed I have taken advantage of several Red Cross Events that allowed me and my dog to visit some historic sights in the DC area and participate in larger events.

Full of activities that accommodate family that stationed overseas. Even single sailors can participate. I've learned a lot from RedCross and there's still a lot things to learn.
Very open to ideas from volunteers. Full of useful informations that we don't know but we might need.
It's just like my other family here.

Since being part of the volunteer team at Misawa, Japan, I have been warmly welcomed and have served in several capacities. Our Station Chairman, Karen Jorgensen, is a great supporter of her volunteer staff and rewards their efforts with recognition events such as painting the Torii Gate and the Hachinohe horse, or a party where drummers serenaded us during the awards celebration. There have been other recognitions to honor those who give many service hours. I have personally been involved with Navy and Air Force Safety days, giving presentations at Sollars Elementary School and in from of the base X-Change. We started the Master of Disaster Program and have held classes for Cub Scouts, for the Lunney Youth Center, Activity Girls from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and other youth. In March, we celebrated Red Cross birthday by walking 133 miles and on every Friday at the base X-Change entrance, we gave away 25 large totes, personal hygiene kits, a Red Cross Kit, a fire emergency sheet with pen, emergency handouts and talked with many people on having a kit and being prepared. At present, we are being trained in the Pillowcase Project and are very excited about that. The American Red Cross has provided me with an avenue to serve and help others and I am very glad we have this organization.

I have been a volunteer for approximately 11 months, and have actively enjoyed getting people the help they need!!!

I am an American Red Cross volunteer at Yokosuka Japan. I think being overseas makes this organization extraordinary. This organization and its volunteers instill pride and professionalism to everything that they do for the community. I am very proud to say that I was part of the Masters of disasters class offered to youth during the summer break program. Being inside the military installation allowed the youth to experience astonishing tour to the weather station, fire department and was able to received information from the subject matter expert regarding the different type natural disasters. This organization also offered numerous free classes and provided informative information in regards to getting ready for any disasters.

Where is "The Red Cross' $500 Million In Haiti Relief" go?!!!
http://www.npr.org/2015/06/03/411524156/in-search-of-the-red-cross-500-million-in-haiti-relief?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20150603

Not at all a positive, enjoyable or rewarding place to volunteer. Many great volunteers and staff have quit or been fired. On various deployments, I saw things that concerned me greatly. Read the articles by Pro Publica and NPR. Currently, the government accountability office and Senator Grassley are investigating . The red cross has become a bloated inefficient and ineffective organization. The current program manager in the Bangor Maine office is very unprofessional and disrespectful to the volunteers and is concerned with promoting her career, not helping people in need.

I am a member of the Red Cross Disaster Response team for Baltimore city and Baltimore County, Maryland. Our team responds to emergencies, both local and national. Usually, they are local house fires, but we have responded to local hurricanes, floods and tornados too. We send out a team, often in the middle of the night, and they assess the situation and provide needed food, clothing, shelter, referrals, and other services as needed. Sometimes a nurse or mental health volunteer is needed too. Our volunteers have a demanding task--helping people who may have lost everything and are traumatized and confused. It's especially hard when there are injuries or fatalities. Our team is trained to respond to all kinds of disasters, and we have received national recognition for the numbers of well-trained volunteers we have deployed to large disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and Superstorm Sandy. I am very proud of our DAT team!

We have typically donated to the American Red Cross as disasters across our country and all over the world have occurred. Recently, a church group sent out a spreadsheet on multiple charities and it was noted that the CEO of the American Red Cross was Marsha J. Evans and she earned $651,957 per year. I decided to research that information and find that the current CEO is actually Gail McGorvern and she earns $500,000 per year. While we are part of the middle class and can't comprehend someone making $500,000 per year, we understand that her responsibilities are vast therefore, it is easy to imagine that she earns every penny of that salary.

My problem is with all of these groups that circulate emails to thousands of people and those people who are inclined to believe everything that they read no matter the source. We ourselves received assistance from the American Red Cross when Katrina hit the Gulf Coast and we appreciated the fact that they were set up and assisting at the local level.

We have been paying it forward since. For the first time I took exception to the email that was circulating and sent your most recent post out on the internet regarding the American Red Cross.
It is difficult, in our times, to know in whom to put your trust and having seen the American Red Cross in action along the coast during the aftermath of that devasting hurricane, I feel comfortable in supporting them. Church groups tend to support their own members, the American Red Cross sees no boundaries.

I thought the red cross was a good organization it's not I enjoy the class but when I asked to do something different they always want me to do fire call if you don't feel comfortable bout doing something you shouldn't have to be put on the The same call that how you learn doing different things

S0MTIME LIFE IS NOT AL ABOUT MONEY BUT HELP FROM OTHERS TOO BECAUSE WHEN A DISASTER COMES IT DOES NOT DIFFERENTIATE BETWEEN THE RICH AND THE POOR BUT IT JUST AFFECTS ALL PEOPLE HENCE MEANING THAT RED CROSS IS LIKE DISASTER (WITH THE IMPARTIALITY PRINCIPLE) AM MORE THAN READY TO HELP OUT VOLUNTARILY

I am a Red Cross volunteer in New York City. Volunteers and staff responders go to _every_ residential fire in New York City and surrounding areas. I personally have responded to as many as four in a 12-hour period.

The vast majority of the thousands of the local events never make the news, and no one notices--except for the families we help. The people are often working poor, have no other resources, and aren't "telegenic" enough to attract the attention of media or celebrities.

No, the organization isn't perfect. Yes, there are screwups. But 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, we are out responding to disasters, and are often greeted with "I didn't know the Red Cross does this."

We are there, despite everything.

I think that this non profit is extremely helpful to the community and definitely exemplifies their concern for human trafficking. I would recommend this non profit because it aims to help a group of people who often do not get recognition.

I work for a company that is state mandated to have staff CPR certified. American Red Cross charges us $500 to train an instructor plus the fees for required materials. The overhead, time of the instructor as a paid staff of the employer, benefits of said staff, etc. are all costs paid by my employer and yet American Red Cross requires $27/every person we certify. We spent approx. $5,000/year as a non-profit paying Red Cross for cards. We switched providers and now Red Cross is trying to charge us AGAIN for paid invoices.

I'm an employee at the national headquarters. I want people to know that everyone at ARC is very careful to stretch every dollar as far as possible, to keep expenses down to a bare minimum, to not spend money on any administrative overhead unless absolutely necessary. Most of us (me included) took a pay cut to work here. If you donate, you can be certain not a single penny of your money will be wasted.

We live on the Jersey shore and were hit hard by hurricane Sandy. The American Red Cross has been our saving grace. From the first few weeks when we were at our high school as a local shelter. And still now while we are STILL looking for housing. I condemned the red cross for there kindness and support. I will say threat FEMA is a joke though..

My wife gave blood a few times. Now they call multiple times per day. They won't stop. I asked them to stop. They said my wife has to ask them to stop.
For their incessant robo-calling and their insolent attitude they have earned my undying ire.

Very few people know that the Red Cross is the best friend of Service men and women. They confirm hardships, injuries/illnesses or deaths of family members that require the presence of the military member. They also work to assist in making sure they get home.

Very few people know that the Red Cross is the best friend of Service men and women. They confirm hardships, injuries/illnesses or deaths of family members that require the presence of the military member. They also work to assist in making sure they get home. Every Duty Officer is familiar with contacting, or being contacted by the Red Cross. As a retired Marine with 26+ years I have nothing but admiration for THEIR service. (My last personal experience was 1987-the tear I retired; however that year option was not available in this form. )

No matter what others have to say, whenever disaster strikes, the Red Cross seems to be the first on the scene. Their symbol is hard to miss, so next time you're watching a disaster unfold on TV, I'm sure you'll also see that red cross in the picture.

As a local and national volunteer of Red Cross I have been a disaster nurse volunteer for many years and can testify to best managemenent of all types of disasters and the best response from recipients of their services. I have helped out numerous other groups but am most impressed with Red Cross as an organization and with the dedicated volunteers involved. I urge any nurses or others to volunteer their time to help the others or to donate to a major organization that spends donated money the best. My personal memories include people's tears and relief with help they seldom receive from of anyone else. Many people are only aware of major disasters like hurricanes, floods or tornadoes when many groups show up or solicite donations on TV, but are never aware of house fires or families needing help locating military relatives for messages. Dedicated volunteers help at all hours and places but are seldom acknowledged by the public. They ARE appreciated by Red Cross and continue being volunteers for a long time. That is my reason for staying with this group.

Time and time again I have seen the Red Cross step up and help local members of the community and in large scale disasters. Yesterday a member of our community lost her apartment and belongings. Guess who was one of the first on the scene? The Red Cross. As for the folks who write the negative posts, do your homework people and stop relying on whatever the latest Facebook, Twitter or whatever rumor of the day that you get your information from. If you don't want to give to the Red Cross, that's fine. Find a charity you feel you can trust (some local ones are great) and donate to them. There will always be a need.

Look @ Hati, people are still living in boxes after 4 years & they've collected billions.

They still haven't found where the lost money from 9/11 went. They also take money for one tragedy and save it for another one. They tell you, you are doing good for one thing and your money doesn't even go there. Irresponsible at the least if not criminal.

Please ignore the false information provided in some other posts, esp. the first one. It is an urban legend. That person says their last contact was 2011 but cites a CEO who left the organization in 2005! The Red Cross is a fabulous organization. While it and no other organization can be perfect, I see fellow volunteers who do wonderful and selfless work all the time, providing food, clothing, shelter, water, and emotional support. Because so much of the work is done by volunteers for free, some costs might look a little out of whack. Even then, at least 92 cents of every donated dollar goes to serve our communities. that's about as good as it gets! Nearly everyone I know has a Red Cross story, from giving or receiving blood, receiving comfort or an emergency message while serving in the military, learning how to swim or be a good lifeguard or babysitter, and learning how to save a loved one's life through first aid and CPR training.

CONTRIBUTIONS:
As you open your pockets to do a good thing and make yourself feel good, please keep the following facts in mind:
----------------------------
The American Red Cross
President and CEO Marsha J. Evans'
salary for the year was $651,957 plus expenses
MARCH OF DIMES
It is now called the March of Dimes because
only a dime for every 1 dollar is given to the needy .
The United Way
President Brian Gallagher
receives a $375,000 base salary along with numerous expense benefits.
UNICEF
CEO Caryl M. Stern receives
$1,200,000 per year (100k permonth) plus all expenses including a ROLLS ROYCE.
Less than 5 cents of your donated dollar goes to the cause.
GOODWILL
CEO and owner Mark Curran profits $2.3 million a year .
Goodwill is a very catchy name for his business.
You donate to his business and then he sells the items for PROFIT.
He pays nothing for his products and pays his workers minimum wage! Nice Guy.
$0.00 goes to help anyone!
Stop giving to this man.
Instead, give it to ANY OF THE FOLLOWING
GO "GREEN" AND PUT YOUR MONEY WHERE IT WILL DO SOME GOOD :
The Salvation Army
Commissioner, Todd Bassett receives a small salary of only
$13,000 per year (plus housing) for managing this $2 billion dollar organization.
96 percent of donated dollars go to the cause.
The American Legion
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary.
Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
The Veterans of Foreign Wars
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary.
Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
The Disabled American Veterans
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary.
Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
The Military Order of Purple Hearts
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary.
Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
The Vietnam Veterans Association
National Commander receives a $0.00 zero salary.
Your donations go to help Veterans and their families and youth!
Make a Wish: For children's last wishes.
100% goes to funding trips or special wishes for a dying child.
St. Jude Research Hospital
100% goes towards funding and helping Children with Cancer who have no insurance and can
not afford to pay .
Ronald McDonald Houses
All monies go to running the houses for parents who have critical Children in the hospital.
100% goes to housing, and feeding the families.
Lions Club International
100% OF DONATIONS GO TO HELP THE BLIND,BUY HEARING AIDES, SUPPORT MEDICAL MISSIONS AROUND THE WORLD. THEIR LATEST UNDERTAKING
IS MEASLES VACCINATIONS (ONLY $1.00 PER SHOT).

I do not understand why this organization gets so much free advertising & solicitation from everyone. All of the TV & media programs as well as politicians, mention them every disaster. Yet you never see them do anything. You never hear anyone thanking them. They do blood drives, that's it, and that should not make them this powerful. (In their defense, the salaries are not that high, a company that pulls in and manages billions of dollars needs highly compensated talent.) I do like to see that ADP Payroll services charges them 9 million a year, way to help out ADP.

I am a resident of Ortley Beach that was hit hard by Sandy and have not seen the red cross do much I have seen surfrider and churches do much much more and would not give to them

I will not donate money to an organization that pays its chief executive over a half million dollars per year. There is no justification for that.

I'm sorry some of you feel frustrated and angry - but that is completely normal after a large scale disaster. I've been a Red Cross volunteers for 20 years almost to the month - after Hurricane Andrew. I can attest to all the good work the organization does.
The Red Cross is a 2ndary relief organization - they can only assist when given the go ahead by 1st responder agencies to go into an area. In such a large-scale disaster as this, National Guard, FEMA, and other government agencies provide services/rescue/assistance, and the Red Cross immediately follows. It takes time to get assets (people, supplies, vehicles) to the most affected due to all the structural damage. Staten Island were told to evacuate for their personal safety due to this. The Red Cross will be in your area for a long time to come helping with feeding, clothing, and sheltering residents for as long as it takes. On a personal note, after Hurricane Andrew, not even the National Guard could get to us for 4 days after because the road were so impassible. I wish you a speedy recovery. I have been volunteering in Long Island the past two weeks - and will keep going down there as much as possible to help.

Far below expectations, did not come to neighborhoods hard hit by Sandy until 11 days after the hurricane hit. A disgraceful organization that spends way to much money on salary and administrative expenses. To date they have raised $117million for Sandy victims and it took them 11 days to show up. In between we also got hit with a nor 'easter where the temperature dropped substantially. NBC interviewed there CEO who earns $565K+ per year about the effectiveness of Sandy Relief Efforts and she replied that they were "Flawless". Their effectiveness is low and I wouldn't give them one brown penny. Clara Barton must be rolling in her grave.

Red Cross is a scam!!!so disappointed!!!we were 13 days without power, heat, hot water. Our neighbors brought us food!!! After we got power(3 days ago) I saw Red Cross fancy van driving around telling that they got hot food, what a shame, where were they when we needed them.so angry, and I used to donate money to them.very very disappointed.PS: I live in Staten Island we have 8 boats parked in our street

I am a professional, well-trained crime victim volunteer for another nationally renown non-profit, but I had my first experience as a person served by The Red Cross during Hurricane Sandy in October. I can't say enough about the efficient, effective and compassionate care provided to our family by Red Cross volunteers. At every step along the way, from taking our first hot shower in more than two weeks to providing a hot nutritious meal, blankets, water, ice, flashlight batteries and prepared meals. Had we been homeless, we would have had a cot, pillow and blankets to sleep over in a clean over-sized room. The Red Cross was set-up at a high school and had the organizational skills to also enlist students who were studying veterinary technology to volunteer at the designated area caring for the pets of any homeless family. The students not only put their skills to the test, but they also learned about volunteer service. The entire operation was well-organized with knowledgeable and caring volunteers. The volunteers were clearly identifiable with red vests and name tags. There was a well-dressed woman with a name tag who came over to us during our meal and asked us questions to apparently assess if our needs were being met in a timely, effective and courteous way. She had identified herself as a regional directer and was making rounds to all three emergency shelters in the county. Not once were we solicited for money. I had to ASK where I could donate. Only after asking, was I handed a self-addressed envelope to take home. The Red Cross pays 92 cents on the dollar for providing services to the needy. The non-profit I volunteer for, pays a professional fundraiser 40 cents for every dollar the company makes for the non-profit I volunteer for. Of the 60 cents, the first expenditure is for the highly paid administrator salaries, benefits [including pension and severance pay] and advance expense vouchers. That leaves about 20 cents for our services to crime victims. Service programs are cut while executive salaries are increased. Compare how much of each dollar goes to victim services.. Since the Red Cross volunteers who served our area are efficient, effective and truly compassionate and caring, I will be directing my donation to their region. When you SPECIFY that a donation be used for a particular region/service area, every non-profit [including The Red Cross] is required by law to allocate that money to the particular region. It's known as "restricted funds." I had such a positive experience that I may very well volunteer for The Red Cross.

Where is the web site that will show specifically, where and at what the Red Cross has been effective? Not the general solicitations slogans but facts and figures, by date and events. Perhaps someone can feature what the Red Cross is doing (specifically how many blanks, heaters, shelter, food (not cookies) clean dry clothing etc.) have been provided during the aftermath of Sandy.
I would like to know that things have changed since I was in the armed service.
P.S. The "must select year of experiance" only goes back to 1997. Not far enough for me.

From personal experience as a pregnant 9/11 widow in New York City, dealing with the RC when I was a traumatized victim was truly the repeated kick in the butt I certainly didn't need since I was already so low down! And even though I had a legal background, it was still exhausting and unpleasant to deal with such incompetent, and sometimes malicious organization.
Unfortunately, as I've followed the Red Cross over the years, always receiving the most funds after catastrophic events, things have changed very little. You can also look at articles by Stephanie Strom of NYTimes. She has documented the RC's misdeeds post disaster again and again.

Please consider donating to organizations that are kind, compassionate, and competent. There are many ones that are worthy. I am truly appalled that so many intelligent good people continue to give their good will to such an unworthy organization.

I worked with the Red Cross up to this year--and I left on good terms. In my field, I consistently gained recognition for being one of their best. I tell you this to give you some sense that my critique is valid. It is my single hope that this very important organization turns things around because as it stands, the Red Cross is hands down the most unorganized, ill-managed nonprofit I have ever worked with. I have read in other reviews how the Red Cross made service men pay them back, that's not all, the services themselves pay for the military related programs. So yes, the Red Cross is getting paid for that work twice--and it's suppose to be free of charge. The blood program is a for-profit; with the Red Cross Board as shareholders (Did you ever wonder why the CEO and other executives are on the National Board?). The current CEO has been very open that she wants to reorganize in a manner similar to AT&T--and we know how that went in the 90's. I don't want them to close, fail or fall apart. I just want them to open their eyes to what their lack of organization and strategy are doing.

One thing a lot of people may not know, when the Red Cross helps a service member get a flight home for an emergency, they make the service member pay them back for the cost of the plane ticket. In fact, they take payments directly out of the service members pay check. They have easy access working with the DOD I guess.

Fortunately, I have never had to make use of Red Cross services. They certainly get publicity for their work. I have been giving to them for years. I am pleased to find out that 92% of my donation goes to program costs, but was dismayed when I saw the CEO earns over $500,000.

I have worked, volunteered, and donated to the Red Cross at the local and National levels. The organization has area for improvement (as does every org I have ever been associated with). The bottom line is: Nobody does it better than the Red Cross. In fact, nobody does what the Red Cross does. Others do it in different areas & at smaller scales. However, The size and scope of this org is absolutely necessary to provide nationwide citizen response to humanitarian emergencies.

When the flood of '97 hit Grand Forks, ND the Red Cross was there for photo ops and not much more. Of all the people I've spoken with the only thing they did was hand out a few gas and hotel vouchers. The main work was done, to my surprise, by the Salvation Army. My mother went to the aid office that they had set up to see what assistance they could get. She was met with form after form and no end in sight. A woman she met there with her kids in tow had been there for two days filling out forms. After each one she had been handed a new one and sent to another line. The woman was at wits end since she desperately needed some form of help but was at the point of leaving. My mother left, not having the time to waste. At the end the Red Cross tried to walk away with half the the money that had been donated for the Red River valley flood. When caught they decided to spend that cash or at least some of it on airing commercials in the area letting everyone know how great they were. One of our state senators called for an audit which to my surprise takes an act of congress. His motion failed so who knows how much money this "charity" pocketed. I certainly hope they are better in other places of the world but after this heart breaking experience I'd rather not give to them

The salaried staff of the Red Cross has drawn a very distinct line between the paid staff and volunteers. Volunteers are generally treated as 2nd class workers, they get lesser accomodations than paid staff when deployed on disasters along with the attitudes that yes they are volunteers and are not entitled to the perks of paid staff. They get treated as though volunteers are a dime a dozen and are expendable and replaceable. The salaries are exorbitant and when perks can give them an effective double raise. There is nothing that can justify the salaries of the paid staff nationwide, especially the salaries of the National Staff. The CEO, Gail McGovern is making almost 1,000,000.00 annual salary and that is unthinkable for a non profit organization whose funds come solely from donated dollars. I will never donate another penny to the Red Cross and will encourage everyone I know to refrain as well. This organization was an excellent one several years back but lost their mission of being led by volunteers for humanitarian purposes. It now an organization which is led by well paid staff wanting volunteers to do their jobs for them.

I have supported three national disaster responses, (Hurricanes in Florida, as well as Hurricane Katrina, and Alabama Tornadoes.) The Red Cross does make a profound difference for people that I've witnessed directly and even when the Red Cross doesn't have services to help, people all over have been very grateful just for their presence. Providing aid in these situations is extremely challenging on many levels, and there are few organizations that are capable of helping the way the Red Cross is. As a volunteer, you work nearly every day a week on up to 12 hour days and while the days are long they can be very rewarding. In spite of some amazing results, I do have some conflicts with the way they staff their operations and have had more than a few poor managers who are lacking the appropriate skills for their roles. This can lead to significant waste of donor funds and is really ineffective. Red Cross is good, but they could do just so much more with the right people. If you make a donation to the Red Cross, I would recommend you do so to your local chapter as in my experience the local chapters are far more efficient with their donor dollars. This is also a good organization to volunteer in particularly for recent college graduates as it can give you a new perspective on life, meet some great friends, and do a little travel. As to several of the poor ratings on this site from clients, a lot of these seem to be asking for services that the Red Cross does not perform. (I.E. Clothing donations are provided through Salvation Army among others in a disaster, Red Cross does not provide this service and if they accept any of these donations, it requires someone from the Red Cross to deliver to other agencies taking time away from their mission of immediate disaster relief services such as food, shelter, and medical needs a simple task but one that quickly grows out of hand in larger emergencies)

I have voluteered with the ARC for 25 years and have served on my local board and on National Committees. The dedication and actions of the volunteers and staff of this organization represent the best that a non-profit can give. They are on the scene of National and Local Disasters with care and resources for those in need. I will continue to give and volunteer with this MOST worthy organization all my life.

In reviewing the latest Form 990 regarding ARC on Guidestar, Gail McGovern's total compensation was $561,210, rather than the $995,718 claimed by Joyce D. While $561,718 is almost twice as high as the average compensation for a CEO of a non profit, it is far from the highest, and there are CEO's at far smaller non profits (the Levy brothers of YAI, who each had packages of over $3/4 million come to mind) that earn more. As for how the organization is run, I feel that National should have left far more to the local and regional levels as far as decision making and protocol, as ARC is far too large an organization to micromanage, and there are vastly different needs depending on the area of the country and whether it's a rural or city chapter. The jury is still out regarding ARC's reorganization, but Health and Safety Services continue to be a disaster since National took over. Will Disaster Services be the next disaster? America and the world are watching...

American Red Cross does not subscribe good board governance for an organization of this size. The CEO should not be a member of the board.

I used to give monthly to the American Red Cross until I found out that their CEO, Gail J. McGovern, makes $995,718 a year. She may do a good job, but nobody should be able to profit excessively from a charitable organization. It's a shame than one person spoils it for the rest, especially those that are in REAL need. Gail, why don't you lower your pay to $300,000. Although, I still think that's too much, it would convince me to start giving again especially if reports show that the Red Cross is doing a good job.

We are planning to donate money to a charity. Won't be to the American Red Cross. We cannot give a donation to any organization that pays $995,718 to Gail J. McGovern President, CEO. Seems excessive to the average Joe.

I gave blood. The Red Cross then gave my private information to a teleservices company. I receive multitudes of phone calls soliciting donations and blood. It is so many that it feels like harassment. My requests to be removed from the call list have gone ignored. It angers me that donated money is wasted on phone banks. It angers me as a donor that my private information is being used inappropriately.

It is sad that the Red Cross has the blemish of highly paid officers because its Mission and Assistance serves so many

I will be giving to my local chapter only; the CEO's nearly million dollar salary is just outrageous. I don't buy the idea that "the sky's the limit" on salary to get the "right people." There are certainly talented people out there who would be willing to work for far, far less than that.

Charity Navigator has lost any semblance of credibility for rating the American Red Cross with 4 stars! I have had 3 first-hand experiences in disaster areas and in each occasion the Red Cross was abysmal in their performance of duties. In one case they stood by while the Salvation Army was working hard in providing for the needs of survivors. In another case, they were noticeably late in responding and then tried to "take over" from an already efficient volunteer network. We try to give annually to several charities but will NEVER donate again to the American Red Cross!!

I make $50,000 a year.....let the million dollar CEO donate for me.

There are many lies and untruths in the reviews here. I beg you to think for yourself - and be smart enough to search the truths.
Charity Navigator gives it 4 out of 4 starts. The highest rating possible. Judge for yourself: http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm?bay=search.summary&orgid=3277
The Red Cross has a budget of $3B and only spends $124 million on administration. As for the CEO's pay - if a non-profit didn't pay a high salary it would not be able to get and keep quality. This is true for any non-profit.

I have spend many hours volunteering over the years. I have helped in many areas doing different jobs - but no other organization can come close to the work the Red Cross does. It may not be perfect, but there isn't an organization that does better. It truly is run by volunteers.

There is absolutely no truth that the American Red Cross would/could ever charge for a cot nor water. When the Red Cross helps someone in the military, they do so with the Department of Defense. If they provide money it must be approved by the DoD and they set the terms... and it must be paid paid.

All disaster assistance is free.

I have worked for the ARC for over 11 years now as both a volunteer and a paid staff member. The organization is very top heavy with mostly overpaid executives at the National Headquarters in Washington DC. Generally the volunteers and staff "in the field" are the ones who go to great lengths to serve clients. Many positions in the field have been eliminated in recent years as the executives in the "ivory tower" protect their own salaries and positions. Our Service Members and their families are now served mostly by call centers empoyees who are inexperienced instead of caring employees working alongside our military throughout the world.

The CEO of a charity organization should NOT be earning close to a million dollars a year, no matter how big the charity. If you want to get rich, go work for a corporation. SHAME ON YOU, RED CROSS!!! I have donated in the past, naively believing that such a well-known organization would use my donation properly. I won't be donating again.

After having survived Hurricane Carla as a teen, the Red Cross charged for water and rented cots while the NOT RATED Salvation Army handed out water and loaned cots. Heard the exact same story from survivors of the Texas City Disaster. Again I experienced the lack of compassion of the Red Cross when flooding occurred in Houston 2001 June 9th, however, i still have a smile over this one... the Red Cross was standing out side a local Grocery chain trying to dole out the guilt to donate money and talking about how we have so much and should be giving to others --when an 80 yr old lady told them Her home still had water in the back, her home was in chaos , she here buying paper towels and bleach and although the 'disaster' had been over a week had NEVER seen a Red Cross person on her block even to hand out a bottle of water.

I have spent over 25 years with the American Red Cross (both volunteer and paid staff) and much of that time has been spent working to ensure that our local chapters are trained, prepared and ready to respond to disasters, both large and small. ARC is an often misunderstood entity because the organization is so large and so active that the "behind the scenes" activities and negotiations may not be obvious to the general public or to all observers. As an example, someone wrote that ARC took people on buses, during Katrina, and then "just left them" when, in reality, Red Cross is not a transporting entity. ARC volunteers may have been on the buses that either FEMA or local governments utilized to evacuate or transport, but ARC was not in charge of those operations, only there to support the clients. Also noted that someone felt that ARC "spent thousands of dollars on thank you parties for their staff" after Katrina when, in reality, those types of celebrations are usually sponsored by grateful corporate entities or municipalities who want to thank the volunteer who left their homes for weeks to come and help. I was a volunteer for over 11 years before becoming a paid staff person for 15 years. I am now retired, but still (after 67 + disaster operation responses) am proud of the work of the organization and of its dedicated paid and volunteer staff. The paid staff of the organization could take those same skills into the open market and make far larger salaries with far fewer challenges. But they don't be cause, like me, they believe in the mission of the Red Cross. Are we always perfect? Goodness, no! But then, is any entity always able to be perfect in time of disaster? No, disaster is, by its very nature, chaotic and your best hope is to have a good plan and to execute it with skill and expertise. Even then, there will be variables that keep things from being perfect but, please know, the paid and volunteer staff of the Red Cross working on disaster relief operations are focused on success...and that means serving the disaster related / disaster caused needs of the community and its people. Yes, we do ask for funds because, as you can only imagine, everything from putting gas in the vehicles to purchasing food for feeding sites and support items for sheltering still costs money, even when disaster strikes. in fact, often, in the face of disaster, those costs mount unbelievably! I am always sad when I see someone put something out that is negative about the organizations disaster relief efforts because I know it is out of a lack of the "big picture" knowledge that they have made judgement.

I used to donate yearly to the American Red Cross. However, after finding out through Charity Navigator that the CEO makes close to a MILLION dollars annually, I have decided to donate elsewhere. Any charity organization that pays its CEO that much does not need my contribution.

I've donated in the past but will no more after reviewing their tax forms. Most of the relief they provide goes overseas. With all the disasters in the U.S. I'm sure we needed more than what they provided in the states. Don't get me started on the salaries. I realize to get the best people to run the organization they demand high salaries but almost a million a year is ridiculous. I think anything over 200,000 a year is excessive. I'm searching for another organization to keep my money in this country. How many countries are providing help to the U.S.?

An employee of the ARC commented on my review. Read "comments" below my original review. She should review the form 990 because she is either misinformed or outright lying about the amount of relief provided overseas 183,894,000 vs US relief 67,110,753 published in part IX lines 2&3. Also, part VII shows the CEO salary and other compensation at over 1 million not 500k as she stated. Key employees salaries were reported as74.7 mil. read it yourself.She should also read some of the other personal experiences of former volunteers and recipients of "relief". They may provide a lot of help to disaster victims but imagine how much more they could do. Way too much waste and administrative costs.

The American Red Cross. This is horrible! How is it that an employee of a charity can be making such a huge amount?

in 1987 my brother was killed in a ch53 helicopter crash in california. i was stationed in spokane washington in the usaf. i needed a plane ticket home. i was a poor airman. the red cross bought me the ticket with me paying it back with interest. while on that flight home, a young officer was sitting with me, he lost his brother also in that crash. he told me the red cross got him the flight.
when i got back after my brothers funeral i ran into that officer and asked him how he liked the pay deduction for those plane tickets. he told me the red cross told him not to worry about it, officers aren't charged for the tickets. here i am, an airman, paying 1200. for a 625.00 plane ticket. what justice is that, over the years i've learned more about the red cross' less than proper treatment of enlisted personnel. shame on you. i won't give them 5 cents.

While looking to donate funds - LOOK to AMERICAN'S DISASTER RELIEF a/k/a Western Colorado Disaster Relief. They have have NO paid staff - have been helping others over a decade - have helped thousands. 100% of your donation goes the the helping others.

During a disaster they fight hard to raise funds, - they ALWAYS need donations. Check out AMERICA'S DISASTER RELIEF the next time you want to donate. Look at their web site www.wcdisasterrelief.org

Donations for the recent tornado in Vilonia Arkansas
My husband and I purchased cases of bottled water, case of can goods, non parishable snacks. we also brought over mens and women clothing. We went to the Red Cross and they said they would take only the bottled water! They asked if the clothes were brand new and we said no they said they didn't want them either. The local churches that set up relief centers gladly took all the rest. All they ever want is money. Don't be fooled by a financial statement I am an accountant and included in the so called program expenses can have salaries, vehicles, etc. I would like to see a more detailed P/L.
There was no one at the center either except the Red Cross volunteers. This will not be my choice next time I want to donate.

The Red Cross pays its directors at least $150,000 annually and up to $650,000 annually.

The Red Cross allocated $217 million to grants in 2008.

The Red Cross spent $1.7 billion on their own salaries and other employee compensation for the same year.

I like red cross for what they do for people all over the world

My husband and I went to Waldorf, MD Red Cross to help after the 2002 tornado in La Plata. They made us help organizing and moving their warehouse all morning, fed us, and told us we can go home.
We asked why we don't have to be in La Plata. They then told us we can go there and ask.
After arriving to La Plata, we went to the Red Cross Tent where about 4,5 people were sitting around chatting.
They said THERE IS NOTHING FOR US TO DO!
We went to the next tent which looked very busy.
It was a group called People's Place.
They told us to grab a pair of yard gloves from a large bin, and a piece of paper with address and direction, and told us to follow our leader with a chainsaw. A group of 10 -15 of us went to a house of an old lady and worked all afternoon.
We went back the next day with our own chainsaw. They sent us to a huge historic house where we worked with Amish and other volunteers.
A local grocery store brought sandwiches for lunch.
A few hours later, The Red Cross drove up, delivering lunch.
We told them we already had sanwiches.
The Red Cross lady said, "But this is Popeye!"
They just don't get it.
They don't know how to help people.

FYI, I tried to give money to People's Place..They don't exist.
I heard that they are group of people woking for places like United Way. They only get together during disaster...
Hard to believe how organized their operation was compared to the Red Cross which is a full time organization with tonz of donation.

After Hurricane Katrina, I was pulled off of my AmeriCorps site to go to relief work with the local Red Cross chapter. Years later, in the aftermath of Haiti and Japan, I still cannot support the Red Cross because of the terrible situations I witnessed Red Cross staff create while volunteering. They were only interested in money, ignored volunteer offers from doctors, took people out on buses and then left them behind and in the end spent thousands of dollars to throw the volunteers a thank you party, instead of giving the victims and of that money for support. I refuse to donate to them and encourage everyone I know to donate elsewhere. I am working with a group now raising money for Japan and am strongly advocating they send their money to a different charity.

My blood boils when I see management of non-profits get paid outrageously, especially when they complain that the contributions are not enough. Red Cross is not the only organization contributes to humanity.

why the large net asset value.?
I understand reserve and functional needs as cars and equipment, but over a billion?

Tens of thousands of trained Red Cross volunteers in the USA help those affected by flood, fires (including house fires), earthquakes and other disasters. You can donate to the national organization, or to your local Red Cross Chapter if you want the money to support the local disaster relief fund. Only Red Cross is at the scene when needed to help victims of house fires. Only Red Cross is there without pushing a religion or soliciting donations from the victims.

Over many years I've donated almost 5 gallons of blood through the Norfolk, VA chapter of the American Red Cross. Recent interactions with the phlebotomists have declined to the point of rudeness. They lack education and common courtesy. When donors take time to suffer the discomfort of a blood donation, they need to be treated with utmost respect and hospitality. I give less often now because I dread the experience, even though I know that my donations are priceless and desperately needed.

The American Red Cross is one of the oldest, largest, most experienced, and most transparent disaster relief organizations in the world. Donations for domestic or foreign disasters are sure to be handled and used properly.

Never donate to the American Red Cross for an international disaster. They spend more money on cars then helping people.

Many years ago, I was smeared by a wicked enemy in the military. Although I was exonerated and promoted, the bad and falsified reports about me remained in my service record. The Red Cross defended me at no cost, and had these lies removed from the record. Not only does the Red Cross save lives,...they save reputations as well. Thank you!!!