The name Tiffany and the $10,000 amount have historical precedence. The society is named for the beautiful Tiffany windows in the Board of Governors Hall at Red Cross national headquarters in Washington, D.C. These windows, produced by the Tiffany Studios, were commissioned by Red Cross President Mabel Boardman in 1917. As an act of reconciliation and hope, they were paid for with a $5,000 gift from women of the north and $5,000 from women of the south.
The women in these windows personify virtues at work in the Red Cross Movement: hope, mercy, faith, charity, truth and fortitude. Members of the Tiffany Circle provide living examples of these virtues in their local communities, by ensuring the Red Cross has the ability to help people prevent, prepare for and respond to life's emergencies.