Gift supports Blood Services and Disaster Relief, with a separate contribution to help those affected by Super Typhoon Sinlaku

The American Red Cross today announced a $7.047 million contribution from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that will strengthen blood collection, expand work supporting people living with sickle cell disease and increase Red Cross disaster response capacity across the country.

In addition to the more than $ 7 million contribution, the Church is providing $850,000 to support the ongoing Red Cross disaster relief operation following Super Typhoon Sinlaku in April.

“For more than a century, The Church of Jesus-Christ of Latter-day Saints has led the way in helping the Red Cross deliver our mission,” said Cliff Holtz, president and CEO of the American Red Cross. "We are deeply grateful for The Church’s unwavering partnership and extraordinary generosity year after year, helping us provide critical disaster relief and lifesaving blood to those in need."

The largest portion of the donation will support Red Cross Blood Services through investments in medical equipment, including 50 new Power Red collection machines. Power Red equipment allows eligible donors to give two units of red blood cells during a single donation while their plasma and platelets are returned to them.

The contribution also includes $2 million for the Red Cross Sickle Cell Initiative, which helps increase the availability of closely matched blood for people living with sickle cell disease. Since the initiative began in 2021, the Red Cross has worked with community partners to increase the number of annual donors who are Black or African American by more than 89%, while the number of blood donations made by those donors that are used to support people with sickle cell disease have increased 91%.

“We are grateful for the opportunity to strengthen the American Red Cross’s ability to care for people facing serious illness and communities recovering from disasters,” said Bishop W. Christopher Waddell, presiding bishop of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. “As followers of Jesus Christ, we seek to care for our neighbors, lift burdens and bring hope to individuals and families in times of need.”

Additionally, the donation will fund four new Red Cross emergency response vehicles. These vehicles are deployed into communities following disasters, allowing Red Cross volunteers to deliver meals, water, relief supplies and information directly to neighborhoods where help is needed.

The relationship between the Red Cross and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints dates to the late 1800s, when Red Cross founder Clara Barton and Relief Society President Emmeline B. Wells corresponded about humanitarian aid during the Spanish-American War.

The Church held its first Red Cross blood drive in 1996 and has since become the largest single contributor to Red Cross blood drives. Last year, Church members donated more than 94,100 units of blood through nearly 3,000 drives.