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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: September 2026 Expires: September 2028

American Red Cross

Accredited Charity
Accredited Charity

Meets Standards
(800) 733-2767
431 18th Street NW
Washington, DC, 20006
https://www.redcross.org
📄 Full Report 🖨️ Print 📋 BBB Charity Standards

Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

American Red Cross meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"to prevent and alleviate human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors."

Year, State Incorporated:
1900, DC

The American Red Cross (Red Cross) aims to provide care to those in need by preventing and relieving suffering through five main service areas: disaster relief, lifesaving blood, training and certification, international services, and military families. The Red Cross reports that it responds to about 60,000 disasters in the United States every year, ranging from home fires that affect a single family to hurricanes that affect tens of thousands of people. The organization reports that it collects nearly 4.7 million blood donations, more than 1.2 million platelet donations from more than 2.5 million volunteer donors, and that these blood products are delivered to about 2,500 hospitals and other facilities across the United States. Red Cross reports that it provides health and safety courses, including CPR and First Aid training. The organization reports that over 5.9 million people a year receive training in first aid, water safety and other skills that help save lives. The organization reports that it is a part of the world's largest humanitarian network with almost 13 million volunteers in nearly 200 countries and more than 125 million people outside the United States benefit from disaster, recovery or disease prevention activities. The Red Cross reports that each year, it supports service members, veterans and their families through more than 60,000 emergency communications cases. In addition to the program information included in this report, Red Cross provided BBB WGA with detailed data on the level of major Red Cross services in the past year on a state by state basis. A PDF version of this can be viewed by going to give.org/redcross

For the year ended June 30, 2025, American Red Cross's program expenses were:

Biomedical services $2,119,409,000
Domestic disaster services $625,411,000
Training services $143,102,000
Service to the Armed Forces $80,621,000
International relief and development services $48,839,000
Community services $14,977,000
Total Program Expenses $3,032,359,000

Chief Executive
Cliff Holtz, President and Chief Operating Officer

Compensation*
$989,075

Chair of the Board
Gail McGovern

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Retired Chief Executive Officer, American Red Cross

Board Size
12

Paid Staff Size
17900

*2024 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Telephone appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.), Television, Radio, Grant proposals, Internet, Planned giving arrangements, Cause-related marketing (affinity credit cards, consumer product sales, etc.), Membership appeals

Fundraising costs were 16% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $1,219,057,000, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on American Red Cross's audited financial statements - consolidated for the year ended June 30, 2025.

Source of Funds
Products and services- biomedical services $2,305,215,000
Corporate, foundation and individual giving $1,079,618,000
Products and services- program materials $175,385,000
Legacies and bequests $125,463,000
Contracts, including federal government $73,322,000
Other $70,454,000
Services and materials $63,278,000
Investment return, net $57,522,000
United Way and other federated $13,976,000
Total Income $3,964,233,000

Programs: 91% Fundraising: 6% Administrative: 3%

Total Income $3,964,233,000
Total expenses: $3,333,107,000
  Program expenses $3,032,359,000
  Fundraising expenses $195,051,000
  Administrative expenses $105,697,000
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $631,126,000
Beginning Net Assets $3,422,584,000
Other Changes In Net Assets $693,647,000
Ending Net Assets $4,116,231,000
Total Liabilities $936,711,000
Total Assets $5,052,942,000

Note 1: In the above financial section, "other changes in net assets" represents non-operating investment return ($117,277,000) and pension-related changes other than net periodic beneifit cost (-$54,756,000).

Note 2: According to the organization's audited financial statements - consolidated - for the year ended June 30, 2025, The Red Cross received in-kind contributions totaling $63,746,000 in the form of volunteer services ($47,000,000), various ($6,282,000), food ($6,050,000), clothing and household goods ($4,356,000), and medical supplies ($58,000).

Note 3: This report covers activities of the national and local offices of the American Red Cross.

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

RELATED CONTENT

Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance