There were numerous complaints that the famous charity was nowhere to be seen on the Jersey Shore and due to "inadequate food and supply distribution" local entities such as Occupy Sandy or personal volunteerism took the place of the Red Cross (Crocker & Dickson 2012).
If the Red Cross is to sustain itself in the future, it must answer these charges. The director of Occupy Sandy, a veteran of disaster relief said: "what I observed in New Orleans after Katrina was that these large disaster-relief organizations are not structured to respond in a nimble way, to build relationships in communities" (Crocker & Dickson 2012). The Red Cross must seek to utilize the knowledge of local entities, who are often more informed and more nimble in their ability to address specific needs.
The Red Cross also requires better centralized leadership to ensure that it is meeting its goals effectively. According to the nonprofit rating organization Charity Navigator: "We do have concerns about the fact that it's so massive and that its individual branches...
The potential for risk is enormous" (Crocker & Dickson 2012). Greater oversight of local chapters, standardized policies that demand coordination with smaller entities, and regular 'screening' by local chapters of immediate and long-term needs are all vital to sustain the organization's future financial health.
References
Anheier, Helmut. (2005). Nonprofit organizations. Routledge.
Canon, G. (2011). Economic recession continues to hit nonprofit organizations hard. Huffington Post. Retrieved:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/03/22/nonprofits-continue-to-fe_n_838855.html
Crocker, Lizzie & Dickson, Catherine. (2012). After Sandy, the American Red Cross collects both criticism and cash. Daily Beast. Retrieved: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/11/24/after-sandy-the-american-red-cross-collects-both-criticism-and-cash.html
