American Red Cross of Central Florida



	What has the Red Cross been doing to respond to the September 11th disasters? Are there any risks with collecting cash donations to be presented to the Red Cross? Does the Red Cross accept donated goods and services? What are the benefits to donating to charity? How do I know if this company/web site is legitimately affiliated with the Red Cross? How can I organize a fund raising drive in my community/company for disaster-stricken victims? How can I donate blood or organize a blood drive? Does the American Red Cross of Central Florida accept donations of used vehicles? I want to help raise money for a specific family that has been affected by disaster or tragedy, but I would like to do this through a charity so that I get a charitable deduction. Can I make my gift through the Red Cross? Q. What has the Red Cross been doing to respond to the September 11th disasters? A. In keeping with our mission and basic values, our immediate goal is to provide assistance, comfort and sustenance to the victims and rescue workers of the September 11th disasters. These services include providing food, shelter, and crisis and counseling services at our shelters, Family Assistance Center, and mobile Emergency Response Vehicles (ERVs). Q. Are there any risks with collecting cash donations to be presented to the Red Cross? A. Due to the overwhelming response from generous Americans, safety issues have become a concern as well-intentioned individuals solicit funds from their friends with the intention of sending in the pooled funds. We recommend that all donations be made either in person via check, online or by telephone. We ask that you refrain from making cash donations and be aware that we do accept all major credit cards. These are the most secure ways to donate money at the same time guaranteeing there is a record of the contribution so donors can be credited for tax purposes. Q. Does the Red Cross accept donated goods and services? A. September 11, 2001 forever changed the United States and forever changed the lives of every American. The devastating images of the terrorist attacks ignited an outpouring of generosity from corporations and individuals, many of whom wished to donate goods and services. The magnitude of the response from people wanting to provide material items has not been seen since Hurricane Andrew in 1992. True to our mission of providing equitable quantities and products for all those impacted by the tragic events, we immediately began to work with companies and manufacturers across the country on securing new, bulk, palletized products to support our vital, lifesaving disaster services. These types of donations, known as in-kind donations, can be valuable resources during any disaster relief effort. However, misguided in-kind donations can also have the effect of hampering the relief effort if inappropriate or excessive contributions arriving at the disaster site impede the distribution of priority items. To prevent such a situation, the Red Cross is very careful about the types of in-kind donations we accept. Although we are not currently accepting bulk donations of product from companies for New York or other areas, we continue to provide assistance and review incoming offers. If you have questions about in-kind donations, please call (407) 894-4141. Q. What are the benefits to donating to charity? A. In addition to the satisfaction of knowing that you are helping the Red Cross to do important work, there are tax benefits to making significant gifts. For example, when you make a contribution of appreciated securities, you are eligible for a tax deduction and may be able to avoid paying capital gains tax. Please call (407) 894-4141 for further information. Q. How do I know if this company/Web site is legitimately affiliated with the Red Cross? The American National Red Cross is aware that web sites and e-mail campaigns have appeared directing donations to sites other than those authorized by us. Currently Amazon.com, AOL Time Warner, PayPal.com, Wells Fargo Bank and Yahoo! Inc. are our major online donation partners. We have established formal agreements with these sites collecting donations so as to ensure that all donations appropriately make their way to our organization, are properly acknowledged for tax purposes, and to express our deepest thanks for the generosity of the American public. Any other sites or groups claiming to represent the Red Cross should be reported immediately. If you have questions about the legitimacy of a Web site, please e-mail webmaster@redcross.org Q. How can I organize a fund raising drive in my community/company for disaster victims? A. Many people ask how to organize contributions at work and in their communities. Here's how: We are not encouraging people to collect cash for the Red Cross. Collecting cash creates a danger to you and also will invite questions about the fraudulent solicitations that are happening now. The Red Cross stresses that only checks should be collected. This is best for each individual's security and for tax purposes. Checks should be made out to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and sent to the American Red Cross of Central Florida, PO Box 536726, Orlando, Florida 32853-6726. The Red Cross cannot issue any IDs or permits to anyone wishing to take up collections. To do so requires a city permit that we don't have the authority to issue. For company donations, employers can help by matching employee contributions. This will double contribution efforts and encourage employees to give. Checks can be made out to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund and sent to the Red Cross along with the company's donation. Donations can also be made by calling 1-800-HELP-NOW or logging onto to our web site. Q. How can I donate blood or organize a blood drive? A. The Red Cross does not have a blood services program in Central Florida. For information about donating blood or holding a blood drive, please call the Central Florida Blood Bank at (407) 849-6100. Q. Does the American Red Cross of Central Florida accept donations of used vehicles? A. Unfortunately, the American Red Cross of Central Florida does not accept donations of vehicles. Q. I want to help raise money for a specific family that has been affected by disaster or tragedy, but I would like to do this through a charity so that I get a charitable deduction. Can I make my gift through the Red Cross? A. We applaud your desire to help a family at a difficult time, but unfortunately gifts for a specific family or person cannot be made through the Red Cross. This is because we are committed to helping every family in need recover from emergencies by providing food, clothing, shelter and other essential services and supplies. We provide help to each family based on need. If we received special contributions for a specific family, that family might receive more assistance than others in similar circumstances, which would violate our principles of providing help equally to all who need it. If you have more questions about donating, please contact the Office of Financial Development at (407) 894-4141.