Hurricanes plunge Red Cross into debt

NEW YORK — The wave of storms battering the U.S. has plunged the American Red Cross deep into debt as it rushes to prepare for Hurricane Ike, prompting a searching look at how to stabilize its finances.

Gail McGovern, who became the embattled charity's president in June, said even a request for federal funding is under consideration as the Red Cross seeks to become less dependent on spontaneous donations that arrive only in the wake of huge disasters.

"We are going to explore every avenue we can to ensure we have a healthy Red Cross," McGovern said in an interview Thursday as her organization deployed 1,000 out-of-state volunteers to Texas to await menacing Ike.

"We're brainstorming absolutely anything," she said. "We're looking at the possibility of appropriations, whatever — because we want to be able to serve the American public."

As of last week, when Ike was still a distant threat, the Red Cross said it has raised only $5 million to cover costs from Hurricane Gustav that will total at least $40 million, possibly more than $70 million. It has borrowed money to meet those bills and now is incurring more expenses as it shifts response teams to Texas and readies its shelters.

"The beautiful thing about the American Red Cross is we are going to be there when people need us," McGovern said. "As the disaster relief fund depletes, we will borrow money if we need to, to be there."

McGovern said Red Cross officials were calling Gustav a "silent disaster" because it entailed sizable costs for sheltering displaced people, yet did not trigger the flood of donations that often follows more deadly and destructive storms.

With Ike, McGovern said, the Red Cross wants to be ready even though it has no idea how damaging or costly the storm will be. It launched a new fundraising appeal Monday, and will get a plug this weekend when the NFL encourages donations with on-air and in-stadium announcements during its games.

The Red Cross endured widespread criticism — some from within its own ranks — after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans in 2005. An internal report cited overwhelmed volunteers, inflexible attitudes and inadequate anti-fraud measures.

One major change since then, McGovern said, is a greater focus on getting relief supplies into threatened areas before a hurricane arrives.

"With Katrina, we had the supplies, but they were in the wrong place," she said.