Is the Red Cross losing its cool?

Is the Red Cross becoming uncool?

I know it sounds like an idle question, but it could start to matter. To the Red Cross, as well as other top-brand nonprofits.

Check out this post at Personal Democracy Forum: Really, Give to the Red Cross?, which takes the Obama campaign to task for directing its supporters to donate to the Red Cross during the recent hurricane threats:

Supporting the Red Cross is like supporting General Motors -- they're both large, unwieldy bureaucracies that are way past their prime and need to get their acts together and stop depending on the Feds to do it for them.

That's not a completely fair description of the Red Cross. But it you have to wonder: Does the Red Cross seem like a lumbering, ineffective dinosaur? That's a different question from "Is the Red Cross a lumbering, ineffective dinosaur?" -- because its about perception, not reality. And while perception and reality are linked, perception has more impact.

The long string of organizational woes and scandals that have swirled around that venerable organization may be coming home to roost in the form of people just not liking them. That could start to hurt fundraising efforts in a very big way.

Reality check: When disasters happen, most Americans automatically think Red Cross. It's going to take a long time and a lot more missteps to change that.

But if a new generation is not proud to be associated with the Red Cross, they'll find other places to give. If the Red Cross was my client, I'd be spending a lot of my energy thinking how to turn that around. Because once you lose your coolness, you can't really get it back.

Thanks to Tactical Philanthropy for the tip.

Technorati Tags: fundraising, Red Cross

Comments

[Jason Dick]

I think that Red Cross sometimes gets a bad wrap. It seems like the community is confused and often thinks they are federally funded just like FEMA when they are not.
The original mission of Red Cross has changed a lot since when they began. They need to redefine what their image is and make it clearer to everyone exactly what it is that they do.

[Wendy Harman]

Hi Jeff,
This is Wendy from the American Red Cross. Just want to chime in here to say that our new leadership (former Harvard marketing professor Gail McGovern) is more than focused on the Red Cross coolness factor.

I do social media integration here. We're looking forward and making every effort to tear down the walls of uncool and open up a transparent and engaging philosophy.

For instance, to see what the Red Cross is actually doing on the ground in response to hurricanes Gustav and Ike, please visit our Online Newsroom (http://hurricaneike.wordpress.com).

Our youth program is strong and we're taking steps every day to maintain the cool.

Thanks for the opportunity to weigh in.
Wendy
202-303-4080
HarmanW@usa.redcross.org

[Matt]

The Red Cross became uncool when they mismanaged the funds from September 11th. They just put it in the general operating fund instead of specifically for September 11th victims or expenses relating to that.