Query about the ARC

[eleanorjane]

I've seen a few Haiti-related posts that seem to imply that donating to the (American?) Red Cross is a bad idea compared with other charities and relief organisations, and I'm curious as to why that is. Not being from America, I haven't heard any particular reports against the ARC, and I'm wondering why they seem to be held in lower regard than I expected.

Anyone able to satisfy my curiosity?

[Cross-posted.]

Comments

[sara]

There have been, over the years, recurrent reports of financial shenanigans around the American Red Cross, ranging (in my experience) from big salaries for people at their national HQ to people I know who've gone through house fires being billed for services they were "given" by the Red Cross at the time of their losses.

I am suspicious enough that I direct my own charitable giving elsewhere.

[helens78]

Take this with a grain of salt, please, because I cannot for the life of me remember where I heard this or if it is verifiable, but what I recall hearing about the American Red Cross is that its administrative overhead takes a disproportionately large chunk of donations compared to other reputable charities. (Charity Navigator page with graph -- I don't know how big that green wedge should be.)

[commodorified]

Mine was probably one of the posts you saw.

As I said, I have - being not from the Stares as well and thus only glancingly following the issue - insufficient data to make solid statements.

Concerns I have heard:

1) Financial mismanagement after 9/11. I have no solid information, I have seen just a handful of comments from people in New York and DC over the last few years about it.

2) Financial mismanagement or possibly worst wrt monies collected for Katrina. Internal and external enquireis are ongoing.

3) Questions about the degree to which they are upholding the Principles of Impartiality and Neutrality in Afghanistan and Iraq. On this I have ... a handful of sand.

For me it's moot: I'm unlikely ever to have anything to do with ARC, except possibly as a volunteer if needed while visiting in the US.

What's important to me is to get the message out that even if a person chooses not to give to ARC they can still support the Red Cross work in Haiti, and that this is worth doing because Red Cross does stuff that PIH and MSF do not, just as they do stuff that Red Cross does not.