Posted on 09/28/2005 4:29:17 PM PDT by anymouse
As its hurricane relief donations near the $1 billion mark, more than double all other charities combined, the American Red Cross is encountering sharp criticism of its efforts and mounting pressure to share funds with smaller groups.
The complaints — that Red Cross operations were chaotic in some places, inequitable in others — have stung deeply within an organization that is proud of its overall response to Hurricane Katrina, by far the most devastating natural disaster it has confronted on U.S. soil.
"It's frustrating to our thousands of volunteers out there every day, away from their families, helping people," said spokeswoman Devorah Goldburg. "We never said we were perfect — we're trying to do our best under extraordinary circumstances."
The frustration stems partly from the fact that the Red Cross has worked to avoid a recurrence of the humbling fundraising controversy that flared after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001.
Back then, the Red Cross raised about $1.1 billion — its record so far for a single disaster — but the organization was assailed when donors belatedly learned that $200 million of their gifts were being earmarked to prepare for future crises rather than to help victims. Red Cross president Bernadine Healy resigned, the money was shifted back to the Sept. 11 Liberty Fund, and the organization promised greater accountability in future fundraising campaigns.
Because of that experience, Goldburg said the Red Cross is determined to use its massive donations for purposes its donors were asked to support. These include emergency shelter and food, plus short-term financial aid, but not longer-term recovery or rebuilding. Such efforts have never been part of the Red Cross mission.
"After 9/11, we learned we had to be very specific as to where our money is going," Goldburg said. "Our donors are saying to us, 'We want this money spent on Katrina right now.'"
The Red Cross estimates it will need $2 billion to finance Katrina-related emergency services. Even if the goal is reached, Goldburg said, any policy change that would allow support of recovery programs would have to be authorized by the Red Cross board of governors.
Paul Light, a professor of public service at New York University, said he has been impressed with the Red Cross' adjustments after Sept. 11 and its emergency response to Katrina.
But he is among numerous experts and activists who believe Katrina's impact is so severe that the Red Cross should depart from tradition and help finance the long-term recovery. "A lot of small non-profits in the Gulf Coast are staring at deficits and will be hoping for partnerships," he said. "The Red Cross would be wise to invest in them."
Kathleen McCarthy, director of the Center for the Study of Philanthropy at the City University of New York, also advised the Red Cross to consider flexible, creative ways of sharing donations.
"How funds are allocated between relief and development is always a problem because relief is sexy and development is not," she said. "We're seeing a huge amount of money poured into relief, and far less attention paid to how you get money to local organizations which can find the best way to help rebuild their communities."
Across the Gulf Coast, a coalition of black-led community groups called Saving Our Selves is urging the Red Cross to consult with their leaders as attention shifts to recovery.
"This work is so immense — it's dangerous any time you have a single organization monopolizing relief services," said coalition leader LaTosha Brown. "The Red Cross needs to recognize its limitations and reach out by partnering with local agencies who have people on the ground."
Yet the executive director of the watchdog group Charity Navigator said such pleas to the Red Cross are unrealistic, and many reflect envy of its fund-raising prowess.
"The Red Cross raised the money fair and square by making a compelling case to the American public that they were the best organization to get these dollars," Trent Stamp said. "To come in after the fact and ask them to share the money — I can't think of anything more pie-in-the-sky and naive."
Several other complaints have arisen. Among them:
_Some black activists have contended that the Red Cross response, notably in the first few days after Katrina, provided better services in mostly white areas than mostly black areas. "For the first 72 hours, they did not do an equitable job of responding to all communities," said Joe Leonard of the Washington-based Black Leadership Forum.
Red Cross chief diversity officer Rick Pogue said this perception arose because the organization, though committed to serving all in need, had more trouble getting teams into some impoverished black areas early in the crisis than into more affluent areas. "The need was so great, we'd go first to the areas we could get to the easiest," Pogue said.
_In DeKalb County, Ga., the Red Cross was asked to vacate a relief center still filled with hundreds of Katrina evacuees after a dispute with the county's chief executive. Goldburg said the dispute involved financing; DeKalb County CEO Vernon Jones said victims were "treated like cattle" by overwhelmed volunteers unprepared to handle the demand for services.
_Many people seeking help complained of trying futilely for hours to get through to Red Cross telephone hot lines. The Red Cross acknowledged this problem and appealed for patience.
_Richard Walden, president of the relief agency Operation USA, urged donors to consider alternatives to the Red Cross in a scathing column Sunday in the Los Angeles Times titled "The Red Cross Money Pit." Among other charges, Walden said the Red Cross had not made clear to donors that some of its spending on emergency housing for evacuees would be reimbursed by the federal government.
Goldburg said such reimbursements — for evacuees placed in motels when Red Cross shelters became overcrowded — would amount to a little less than $100 million, or 5 percent of the organization's projected total costs.
Money, money, money. There's a lot of it being thrown around right now. Money, money, money. Good old American greed. Money, money, money. Everbody wants a cut. Money, money, money. It's always about money. Don't send clothes, food or water. We don't want no steekin' clothes, food or water. We want money. Send money! Money, money, money.
I worked on a Red Cros project about 15 years ago. I saw the overhead. It was, from my perspective, PATHETIC. The Feds should just roll The Red Cross into the rest of their socialist programs. It's really simple. /fedup
Sucker.
Send a check to 1-800-STOOPID. (no personal offence)
Bunch of jealous people out there. Some people can find anything to complain about. Truly sad. It is also sad to see the number of freepers who make claims and comments without backing them up with facts and figures. Typical though.
The American Red Cross has done a great job at reaching out to tens of thousands of people. Good job!
For example: Within a week after 9/11 a United Way representative came to the office where I was working and whined about how there were other charities that needed our money to. Sure NY and the Pentagon attacked, but where are your priorities?! I wanted to smack her. Not one penny. Not now, not ever.
Red Cross has it's problems but I trust them a heck of a lot more than the United Way and their ilk. Even so, all of my donations to relief efforts of any kind go to my church. That way, I know the money will go where I want it to go and nowhere else.
I'm not talking about used furniture and clothing. They don't even want truckloads of diapers, food, water...nothing. All basic necessities that could be dispersed in a matter of hours to shelters, local churches, etc. to be immediately used by victims.
They want total control; think about it.
Give to Salvation Army; buy good food for local food banks (not $.29 cans of vegetables); diapers and other children's items for local church charities.
I think it would be great if major churches got together and formed their own national "disaster response team." There would be thousands of people...on the ground...at the ready in every locale in the country...to give shelter and immediate relief. Others churches in the "disaster chain" around the country could have specific instructions on how to respond (food, water, cash, medical care, necessities) as soon as called to head to the affected area.
An added bonus is that church-members around the country could have an "in case of emergency" card assigning them to a particular sheltering church in another community or state. They could actually start working as partners prior to a disaster ever happening. And yes, you Catholics and Baptists will have to "play nice"...LOL!
Heck, there could even be a buddy program for folks who might have a problem evacuating...to make sure they get out.
>>>>Because of that experience, Goldburg said the Red Cross is determined to use its massive donations for purposes its donors were asked to support. These include emergency shelter and food, plus short-term financial aid, but not longer-term recovery or rebuilding. Such efforts have never been part of the Red Cross mission.
The Red Cross is providing shelter?
I thought MoveOn.org was.....
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1493302/posts
FR Exclusive: John Kerry, Mary Landrieu, MoveOn DNC and Katrina
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1493302/posts?page=34#34
http://www.redcross-semn.org/index.php
Additional Information:
The State of Minnesota has requested all evacuees to Minnesota to register via telephone for possible additional resources:
Metro area: (651) 297-1304
Toll free: 1-800-657-3504
Check Community Services brochure for local Rochester resources
Call 2-1-1: The Governor of Minnesota has designated United Way’s 2-1-1 as the place to call for people wanting to volunteer or wanting to know how to donate.
Check in with FEMA
Website: www.fema.gov
Phone: 1-800-621-3362
Hurricane Housing: www.hurricanehousing.org
http://www.hurricanehousing.org
Ever look at their payroll expense in relationship to revenues?
During the 1960's there was a fire that wiped out a whole street of houses in two hours in Southern Maine. My grandfather's house was one of the houses that burned down.
The Red Cross showed up with a van with coffee and donuts. The Red Cross then collected money from people in the town. The people they collected the money from were mostly poor mill workers. The Red Cross never gave any money to any of the victims to my knowledge. My relatives indicated my grandfather never heard anything from the Red Cross.
Absolutely correct.
"Give it to Salvation Army..."
That's where donation #1 went. Donation #2, as well as any subsequent donations, will also be going to the SA.
I loathe workplace fundraising. I don't care what the cause is, anything from United Way to Girl Scout Cookies. There's always that subtle pressure to part with you own money or risk being identified as a "Poor Team Member." When I was active duty, we had Combined Federal Campaign and its "100% Participation!" goals.
It's never bothered me to say to anyone, "No thank you, and please don't contact me about this again."
And, for the record: It's not because I'm stingy. I contributed over $2000 to victims of Katrina. They were my own family members. I won't even get a tax deduction for that.
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