When I was in Marine Corps basic, my drill instructors told us how worthless the Red Cross is. The officer who swore me in, a real WWII hero with 50 missions over Europe, told me the same thing. Based on that information, I have never given the Red Cross a penny. My money goes to the Salvation Army when we have a need at the national level. Otherwise, I prefer to donate directly to our local charities. No UW middleman for me.