Posted on 03/04/2006 6:35:20 PM PST by Gomez
THE American Red Cross has come under fire over payments to publicists who recruited stars to add lustre to its image, even as funds ran short for victims of Hurricane Katrina. The controversy could not have come at a worse time for the charity: this Tuesday, it unveils a “celebrity cabinet” of personalities whose glamour will be exploited to attract money, volunteers and donations of blood.
Its critics are unhappy at what they call an inappropriate use of funds. “They’re hoping people will send them money on the basis of celebrity, as opposed to good works and effectiveness,” said Daniel Borochoff, president of the American Institute of Philanthropy, which monitors charities’ finances.
The Red Cross was reported last week to have paid consultants more than $500,000 (£285,000) in three years to recruit stars, pitch its name in Hollywood and promote its chief executive as the face of the charity.
A New York publicist receives $5,000 a month to lure celebrities and polish the charity’s image in Hollywood, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.
A company in California has been paid $114,000 to get the Red Cross included in story lines for film and television, and a Texas firm of image specialists won a contract for $127,000 to boost the profile of Marsha J Evans, the chief executive, a year before she left with a $780,000 severance package.
The Red Cross defends its spending, insisting monthly payments to the publicist Paul Freundlich have been cost-effective. “His efforts have made a huge impact on the American public in terms of increasing financial donations, volunteers and blood donations,” said Julie Thurmond Whitmer, head of the charity’s Washington office.
The row follows a censure by Congress for diverting contributions for the September 11 emergency to other uses and criticism last week from the Senate finance committee, which is investigating the charity’s slow response to Katrina.
Some of the media sniping seems disingenuous, however. How many news organisations would really have sent reporters to cover the Red Cross’s campaign to vaccinate 13m children in Kenya? They did when Jane Seymour, the actress, went along.
We went thru this same crap over how the Red Cross spends donated money just after 9-11. The Red Cross hasn't changed. Did anyone really expect it to?
The Red Cross has become too big to be effective. The same thing happens in government, business, or any other institution when it reaches a point where the money is limitless and those at the top are too far removed form the action to know what's going on.
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This is why I would prefer for the Salvation Army to be in charge of notifications for the Military instead of the Red Cross.
If Danny Glover, Harry Belefonte, Barbara Streisand, Michael Moore and Hugo Chavez all lived in modest $80,000 houses and gave the rest of their money away to others I would then respect them.
I wouldn't agree with them but I would respect them.
Since they don't I call them ludicrous holier than thou hypocrites
Sorry, wrong thread!
"This is why I would prefer for the Salvation Army to be in charge of notifications for the Military instead of the Red Cross."
I don't know what "notifications for the Military" are, but I'm with you on the Red Cross. Guys who fought in Vietnam said both the Red Cross and Salvation Army used to come into the trenches with coffee. Only, the Red Cross used to charge them for it.
Why didn't the celebrities VOLUNTEER their services?
From tainted blood to 911 mismanagement to redirecting donations intended for So CA fire victims to Katrina, the Red Cross has always been haunted by scandals, abuse of funds, incompetent management, or worse. I've even heard stories of them charging deployed GI's for care packages during WW2.
I support Salvation Army instead. They were there for my grandparent's family when they were really needed.
Exactly. The RC tried to explain to me what the 9-11 money was used for, knowig all of the time they were screwing the victims and the donors.
I don't even give them my blood any more.
Exactly. The RC tried to explain to me what the 9-11 money was used for, knowig all of the time they were screwing the victims and the donors.
I don't even give them my blood any more.
VOLUNTEER?? Celebrities? Their agents would stroke out! You're right, however. It would've been the right thing to do.
If we have a death in our family we have to notify the Red Cross before leave is approved. We did have a death in the family a few weeks into the Iraq War. Notification turned into a nightmare. The local office stated in a rather rude manner that it would take at least a week to get word to my son. I gave up locally and called Germany. After a lot of insistence I reached my son in three hours. He refused to come home but at least he was able to speak with his family. Just knowing that they are notified makes a world of difference.
Same here. During Katrina I called the Red Cross and tried to get 20 cases of womens underwear to the bases on the coast. The Red Cross only wanted money. The Salvation Army came and got them.
John Lennon.."imagine no posessions.." except my copyrighted material.
"If we have a death in our family we have to notify the Red Cross before leave is approved."
Thanks for your explanation. It's too bad you have to put up with something like this.
Every piece of evidence on these organizations seems to point the same way. After Katrina, the first people on the scene were journalists and the Salvation Army. Everyone else was still complaining about how it was "impossible to get there".
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