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Frequently Asked Questions
Donation questions
Volunteering questions
Donation questions |
Q: |
How do I donate? |
A: |
Since the tsunami roared across more than a dozen countries on Dec. 26, 2004, funds received by the American Red Cross for the tsunami relief and recovery efforts total approximately $581 million*. Because of this amazing generosity, the American Red Cross believes it has the funds to allow it to fulfill its long-term recovery programming.
In the last decade, almost two billion people around the world have been affected by disasters and other crises. The American Red Cross is there to help disaster victims across the country and around the world thanks to the generosity of the public. To continue supporting the American Red Cross, you can:
- Support the International Response Fund to enable the Red Cross to provide immediate and long term support through relief supplies, technical assistance and services to those affected by crises throughout the world.
- Support the American Red Cross National Disaster Relief Fund to help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year. A financial gift to the Disaster Relief Fund enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to those in need.
- Support your local American Red Cross chapter and its broad range of lifesaving programs and community services.
* (As of November 30, 2007) |
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Q: |
How does the American Red Cross plan to use donated funds? |
A: |
The American Red Cross is grateful for the amazing generosity of thousands of donors whose contributions are being used to bring aid to the people affected by the tsunami, which impacted 13 countries in Asia and Africa.
As of July 31, 2007, the American Red Crosshas received approximately $581 million, of which more than $110 million was spent during the emergency phase. The remaining amount of donated funds will be used to meet relief and long-term needs over the months and years to come.
The American Red Cross has transitioned into its long-term recovery phase and will follow the goals outlined in Strategic Plan, which focuses on six service areas:
- Water and Sanitation
- Psychosocial Support
- Health
- Shelter
- Livelihoods
- Disaster Preparedness
Please visit the latest Tsunami Recovery Program report for more details. |
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Q: |
How do I know my donation is being used wisely by the American Red Cross? |
A: |
The American Red Cross takes its stewardship role seriously and is committed to administering programs that are carefully planned and effectively implemented.
The American Institute of Philanthropy has repeatedly called the American Red Cross a top-rated charity among those currently providing relief for tsunami victims. Also, for the fifth consecutive year, the American Red Cross has been designated a four-star charity by Charity Navigator—receiving the highest rating of America's premier independent charity evaluator—for using every dollar wisely. Keeping administrative costs as low as possible ensures the American Red Cross can deliver more help to people affected by this devastating disaster.
The American Red Cross is committed to honoring donor intent and to being forthcoming and transparent with its donors and the public. In addition to educating donors about how their donations are helping, the Red Cross also has a system of confirming donor intent in the acknowledgment letter each donor receives. After receiving this letter, donors have the opportunity to confirm that the donation indeed went where they intended. If an error is discovered, the donor can contact the organization to have it changed.
In addition, the organization notifies the public when sufficient funds have been raised to cover Red Cross expenses for a relief operation. It also consistently reports—both on the organization's public Web site, RedCross.org, and through stewardship reports—the progress of the long-term recovery operations and monies received and spent. |
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Q: |
Can I donate clothing, foods or other goods for the tsunami survivors? |
A: |
While the American Red Cross appreciates the offer of food, clothing or other items for the tsunami victims, the Red Cross CANNOT accept this type of donation. Shipping donated goods is costly and particularly difficult in the aftermath of a disaster, as inroads into disaster sites are often damaged, and easily clogged with shipments of non-priority items.
The Red Cross makes every attempt to obtain items locally to save money by minimizing transportation and storage costs. Obtaining local items also ensures that the items distributed to disaster victims are appropriate for their culture and diet. In additional, purchasing within the region helps bolster local economies impacted by disaster. |
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Volunteering questions |
Q: |
I would like to volunteer for the tsunami relief efforts? How do I begin? |
A: |
The American Red Cross has sufficient international volunteers recruited and/or already deployed to tsunami-affected regions.
The American Red Cross is an organization dependent on hundreds of thousands of volunteers and appreciates any inquiries from future volunteers. However, the tsunami relief and recovery efforts require highly-trained relief workers who have years of experience in international relief work. In order to reduce direct support costs, the Red Cross is using a small team of volunteers and employees who have already worked on past Red Cross response teams and completed the mandatory International Response Team training.
The easiest way to volunteer with the American Red Cross is to contact your local chapter – there are nearly 800 chapters across the country. The organization utilizes volunteers in a variety of roles, including to respond to disasters domestically such as local fires or other disasters in their neighborhood. Chapters also register volunteers for large regional or national domestic disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes. |
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