The Republicans called their convention short today, but not before Laura Bush and Cindy McCain called for people concerned about the situation in the Gulf Coast to contact an obscure link, http://www.causegreater.com/.
It seemed odd that they weren't directing people to the American Red Cross, which is already operating and which needs help to replenish its funds. Moreover, the Red Cross is incredibly efficient with just over 94 cents of every dollar contributed going to program operations.
Instead, their web-site directs donors to the Baton Rouge Area Foundation, an organization with an overhead rate 33 percent higher than the Red Cross (see the 2006 BRAF IRS 990 Forms). It also directs donors to Texas' OneStar Foundation, an organization that spent more than 1/6 of what it raised in 2006 on management expenses.
Republicans regularly rail against waste but apparently have a blind spot when it comes to private organizations. Please give generously to organizations, like the Red Cross, which operate efficiently.
