Large costly disasters such as hurricanes, tornadoes and earthquakes make the news—but most emergencies don't. A house fire or a loved one needing CPR may not be newsworthy, but they're a tragedy for those involved. In every single case, it is the mission of the American Red Cross to be there and help those in need—whether disaster strikes thousands of people at once... or one family in the middle of the night.

Our job is never done—people always need us—every single day. Please help us continue our lifesaving work.

Donate Now

All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from the American people. You can help the victims of thousands of disasters across the country each year, disasters like the local tornados, by making a financial gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund, which enables the Red Cross to provide shelter, food, counseling and other assistance to victims of disaster. The American Red Cross honors donor intent. If you wish to designate your donation to a specific disaster please do so at the time of your donation.

Call 1-800-REDCROSS, 1-800-257-7575 (Spanish).

Contributions to the National Disaster Relief Fund may be sent to your local American Red Cross chapter at Hawkeye Chapter, 2530 University Avenue, PO Box 1680, Waterloo, IA 50704 or to the American Red Cross, P. O. Box 37243, Washington, DC 20013.

Internet users can make a secure online contribution by visiting http://www.redcross.org.

The best way to support American Red Cross disaster relief efforts is through a monetary donation.  The American Red Cross is not set up to sort and distribute collections of food, clothing or other items.  It is difficult to transport and sort collections at a disaster site, as it requires lots of time, money and personnel.  We recommend that these types of items be given to local food banks or agencies who are equipped for such donations.

Tax-Free Gifts from IRA’s Re-authorized!

Congress has authorized “Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008” which extends the law that allows donors to make charitable gifts from their IRA accounts during tax years 2008 and 2009 without incurring income tax on the withdrawal.  If you are age 701/2 or older and are required to take minimum withdrawals and you do not need them for personal use, this may be a great way to make a gift to one or more qualified charities.  While you cannot claim a charitable deduction for IRA gifts, you will not pay income tax on the amount.

To qualify:

• You must be 701/2 or older at the time of the gift.

• Transfers must be made from a traditional or Roth IRA account by your plan provider DIRECTLY to the charity.  Funds that are withdrawn by you and then contributed do NOT qualify.

• Gifts from 401k, 403b, SEP and other retirement plans do not qualify.

• Gifts must be outright.  Distributions to donor-advised funds, supporting organizations, or life-income arrangements such as charitable remainder trusts and gift annuities are precluded.

Benefits—Qualified charitable distributions:

• Can total up to $100,000 in each tax year (if your spouse has a separate IRA account, you can each contribute up to $100,000 per tax year);

• Can be excluded from your gross income for federal income tax purposes on line 15a of form 1040 (no charitable deduction is available, however);

• Can be used to satisfy your Minimum Required Distribution (MRD);

• Are not subject to the 50% deductibility ceiling or the 2% rule.

Example:  Suppose you have $500,000 in an IRA and will be required to withdraw approximately $25,000 this year, and suppose that you were planning to contribute $20,000 to American Red Cross. You can authorize the administrator of your IRA to transfer $20,000 to the Red Cross and $5,000 to yourself.  The $20,000 distributed will not be subject to tax and will be counted toward your annual minimum distribution.

For more information

Please contact Steve Campbell, Gift Planning Officer at his toll-free number 1-866-867-5156 or email him at Scampbell@usa.redcross.org.

Memorials and Tributes

A gift to the American Red Cross Hawkeye Chapter is a touching way to remember someone who has made a difference in your life, or to honor the accomplishment of someone you care about.  We will happily send an acknowledgement to both you and your honoree or the family of the individual you are remembering.  In addition, such gifts are noted in our chapter newsletter.

To make a tribute or memorial: Please enclose a note with your gift to let us know the name and occasion you are remembering.  If you would like the honoree or a family member of a memorial to receive separate acknowledgement, please include their address as well. 

The American Red Cross Hawkeye Chapter accepts donations designated for national or international efforts.

Your gift to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund allows Red Cross workers to provide immediate emergency assistance to the victims of hundreds of disasters across the country each year. A gift to the American Red Cross International Response Fund puts your dollars to work to meet emergency needs of people in other countries. All American Red Cross disaster assistance is free, made possible by voluntary donations of time and money from people just like you!

To designate your gift to national or international disaster relief rather than local support, simply let us know your wishes in the “notes” section on-line, write your wishes in the memo line of your check, or tell the person taking your donation over the phone. We assure that the intent of the donor is always honored.