How the Red Cross Raised Half a Billion Dollars for Haiti ­and Built Six Homes

Over the years I have read a number of stories about The American Red Cross raising Big Money and the money never arriving where it is suppose to, Katrini and Hurricane Sandy come to mind. I do remembering hearing something a fiasco involving Haiti but I never knew it was so disgusting. Seems a half Billion dollars that hard working people contributed to The Red Cross has resulted in only 6 homes built in Haiti. The Red Cross seems to only have the excuse of "overhead costs". How does the CEO Gail McGovern sleep at night? Most likely on a bed of fluffy money. Do not donate to the Red Cross.

link to story

a reply to: ugmold

If possible the Clinton-Bush fund was even worse.

a reply to: ugmold

Those must be some really big houses!

a reply to: ugmold

Ahhhh.....the naivete of the populace. Dont tell me you actually thought there was a chance the money was getting there... lol!

Annnd, this is why I stop giving any money to any major charity - they are all scams. I'm actually very philanthropic, but I give money directly to those in need, and not to profiteers or middle-men - those are all in it for their own enrichment.

Seems habitat for humanity is the way to go. You can actually help someone build their house. Time and effort are more valuable commodities.

originally posted by: khnum
a reply to: ugmold

If possible the Clinton-Bush fund was even worse.

C'mon they did a heck of a job khumie.

a reply to: ugmold
I think Sean Penn did more than The Red Cross and Bush Clinton.

Gail McGovern only makes a paltry $500,000 a year.
You can't expect competency at that rate of pay now can you?
The Red Cross raised half a billion dollars for Haiti and built 6 homes.
Wow, these organizations have become fund raisers for themselves it seems.
Time to donate to doctors without borders and other small groups that use their money wisely.

It's not surprising - when people donate, I'd definitely urge them to take a peek online and see what the breakdown for each dollar donated is, then look at the last several years of projects...how much was raised and how much help was given the same.

Non profits seem to have become as way for a few officers to make a very good salary. I helps when people believe the advertising that they do.

Once had a project but not the time to do it. Decided to give it to an charity organization to earn some money.
Answer; Sorry we get enough through donations, golf-days etc. etc. and do not need to do something for it.

the head of the red cross makes $500,000 ?

to do what ???? spend money ??

these #### suckers can beg america for money, free money, that they do nothing for, ....... yet they cannot explain to these same americans what they did with it ????

this organization has gotten too fat and blind on free money.

they need to be boycotted and shut down.

a reply to: ugmold

In the UK professional fund raisers for charities are allowed to keep 80% for running costs .

I always ask them for a statement as to where the money collected is used .
none as yet has produced one for me .

originally posted by: spiritualKat33
a reply to: ugmold

Those must be some really big houses!

They probably just stack the people in them really close together and have normal size houses.

150,000 people in 6 houses is only 25,000 per home. If you stick the children and the small people in the cabinets and leave out the furniture and stack them shoulder to shoulder floor to ceiling you could probably get them all in there.

a reply to: ugmold

Forwarding this to everyone who called me an jerk for refusing to donate.

It's really sad when charitable organizations like the red cross or the wounded warriors play on peoples emotions to generate revenue. But never produce real results.

Most people that donate and work for an organization like this mean well. But are not privy to the inner working of the system.

I guarantee the money was used to build more than 6 houses... Just not in Haiti.

It also went to purchase cars, boats, and countless luxury items.

a reply to: ugmold
Didn't the Clinton Fundation do a lot of "work' in Haiti too?

originally posted by: ugmold
Over the years I have read a number of stories about The American Red Cross raising Big Money and the money never arriving where it is suppose to, Katrini and Hurricane Sandy come to mind. I do remembering hearing something a fiasco involving Haiti but I never knew it was so disgusting. Seems a half Billion dollars that hard working people contributed to The Red Cross has resulted in only 6 homes built in Haiti. The Red Cross seems to only have the excuse of "overhead costs". How does the CEO Gail McGovern sleep at night? Most likely on a bed of fluffy money. Do not donate to the Red Cross.

link to story

I rarely give to the major "charities" because they're really just nonprofit corporations that claim to work towards a specific cause. It's much better to just give to the individuals affected by the issue & cut out all middlemen.

The situation in Haiti was even worse than this after their massive earthquake. Almost none of the money raised actually reached the Haitian authorities, instead simply being given to Western organizations, aid groups, and contractors. And those groups underperformed, to say the least.

For example, look at one program USAID did.

A government audit in 2013 found that USAID underestimated how much would be needed for settlements, ballooned the budget from $59 million to $97 million while cutting its goal from 15,000 houses to 2,649. It's put up about 900 so far.

Other USAID activity is as follows:

The USAID list of expenditures includes: emergency food for 4 million, temporary shelter for 1.5 million, 2.7 million cubic meters of rubble removed, 600 classrooms created, construction of a power plant for a new U.S.-brokered factory park, support for 160 health clinics, funding to arrest a cholera outbreak that killed nearly 9,000, better technology for farmers, and the creation of permanent housing.

I highlighted those 2 because the factory park had nothing to do with helping the Haitian earthquake victims. And Haiti had never had a single case of cholera until the UN mission after the earthquake! Cholera literally was brought into Haiti & killed nearly 9,000 Haitians by the very people who were supposed to be helping Haiti! Hundreds of thousands of Haitians contracted cholera & a lot of the aid money was diverted to stopping the epidemic the UN had caused. For all the "ebola" hype we got last year, I'm surprised this actual epidemic wasn't an issue here.

Here's the link for with the above mentioned USAID stats.
And here's one of many articles about Haiti & cholera.

originally posted by: ugmold
Over the years I have read a number of stories about The American Red Cross raising Big Money and the money never arriving where it is suppose to, Katrini and Hurricane Sandy come to mind. I do remembering hearing something a fiasco involving Haiti but I never knew it was so disgusting. Seems a half Billion dollars that hard working people contributed to The Red Cross has resulted in only 6 homes built in Haiti. The Red Cross seems to only have the excuse of "overhead costs". How does the CEO Gail McGovern sleep at night? Most likely on a bed of fluffy money. Do not donate to the Red Cross.

link to story

apparently peter griffin shares your concern.

a reply to: roadgravel


Yes Yes Yes I was the Honorable President of a Non Profit for several years. $2k a month salary and unlimited expense money for 40 hours a month work. Vegas quarterly and islands or Mexico once a year all paid for. We were about 70% expenses and when the IRS came down I was the only one that didn't have to pay back because I was just doing the Boards bidding. Good times they were.