The Red Cross

Guide Note

The Red Cross is an international humanitarian organization committed to protecting human life and health. The Red Cross provides disaster relief and emergency assistance.

Fast Facts

1. Full name: International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement
2. Officially founded in 1876
3. Actually a collective of several independent groups
4. 186 Nations participate
5. American Red Cross headquarters in Washington, DC

The International Red Cross and the Red Crescent Movement refers to groups of humanitarian organizations that provide worldwide assistance without discrimination based on nationality, race, and religious beliefs. The International Red Cross has 97 million volunteers. The formal name for the group is the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). The organization was founded in 1919 and coordinates the activities of 186 different National Red Cross and Red Crescent organizations.

The American Red Cross is based out of Washington, DC. The group governed by volunteers and is supported by donations. There are over 700 chapters in the United States. The Red Cross has over a million volunteers and 30,000 employees.

The American Red Cross is the largest supplier of blood and blood products to hospitals. They supply nearly 44% of the donated blood in the U.S. Most blood donations are collected at community based blood donation centers.