Red Cross Logo
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5.4

Overall Score

LAST UPDATED: September 9th, 2023
The American Red Cross was founded in 1881 by Clara Barton. Today, it is one of the most well-known charities, with 35,000 employees and more than 500,000 volunteers on the rolls. The national headquarters are in Washington, DC; there are hundreds of local chapters nationwide. The Red Cross makes this mission statement on their website: "The American Red Cross prevents and alleviates human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors." 

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The Good

  • Education
  • Store
The emergency preparedness section of the Red Cross website is very thorough. The Red Cross has applied knowledge gained through 133 years of disaster response to the materials listed here. Insofar as education goes, we feel that this site is second to none. Users will find an easy to navigate page with information on:
  • Types of emergencies
  • Preparing your family
  • Preparing your home, workplace, and school
  • Checklists
  • Disaster related apps
  • A disaster and safety library with fact sheets, preparedness checklists, recovery guides, and more
  • Preparing food and water supplies
In addition, there is a limited store where you can purchase emergency kits and supplies.
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The Bad

  • Pricing
There is not much to say on the negative with The Red Cross. We would like to point out that the items in the online store could very likely be purchased much more cheaply elsewhere, especially if you assemble your own kits.
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The Bottom Line

We recommend the Red Cross as an excellent education resource for learning how to prepare ahead for any kind of disaster or emergency. If the information is necessary or useful, you will find it here. In addition, the website can give users information as to where to get help if disaster does strike. The Red Cross is a charity with a long, impeccable history; we are confident that as a website user, you will find what you are looking for - unless you are searching for a place to purchase preparedness supplies like food storage items, water storage, emergency stoves and fuel, and like items. This is not The Red Cross's purpose, and you will need to look elsewhere for those kinds of supplies.
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Star Rating

4.6

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35 Reviews

Review Breakdown

5 grade

77%

4 grade

11%

3 grade

3%

2 grade

9%

1 grade

0%

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Amanda George IL

I have volunteered with Red Cross a couple of times. Their services are free and helpful, but there is a long waiting list to receive help when you need it.

2 months ago Edited July 7, 2023

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Debbie Aston Alpine, UT

I think the red cross does a lot of good, but they call my husband ALL the time to get him to donate blood. It is unreal how much they call and bug him. he has even told them to put him on the do not call list, but they continue to call. It is sad because he almost doesn't want to donate anymore because of how much the bug him.

4 years ago

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Lori Wakefield Orem, UT

Red Cross needs to send more experienced employees to their blood drives. You have people willing to give but many employees blow it so donors can't give due to inexperience.

4 years ago