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American Red Cross

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Development - Development Manager American Red Cross Employee Review

1.0
9 Apr 2015
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Dedicated local staff and volunteers trying to make a difference at the local level and serve as a safety net for a population with very little other options.

Cons

Upper management demand accountability with zero knowledge of local relationships. Horrible staff morale and a top down management system that fails on just about every level. Staff turnover is destroying what made the Red Cross so great and management doesn't care. Horrible decisions being made without taking into account the unique relationships on the local level. Upper management are destroying the Red Cross and its only a matter of time before the financials are too obvious to ignore.

Explore other reviews about American Red Cross

5.0
30 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Flexible schedule, ability to choose healthcare provider, merit awards

Cons

Lack of transparency from leadership, favoritism towards those in their leadership programs

2.0
15 Mar 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

You feel connected to a larger mission, and go to bed knowing you did good work. Most of the volunteers are amazing people. The job is a good stepping stone to other disaster management jobs elsewhere. PTO policy is generous and Healthcare is decent.

Cons

You are INCREDIBLY overworked and GROSSLY underpaid. You get zero work-life balance. Even when you're not on call, you'll still get tons of calls from volunteers with questions and concerns. If a volunteer is unavailable to respond to a fire call or tend to any other responsibility day or night, you're on deck. You're salaried, so there's no overtime pay. Your pay barely covers the basic cost of living in today's economy ($40k-$50k). Diversity is bottom heavy, meaning there are lots of employees of color in entry level or lower management roles, but beyond that there's a steep drop off. Most of the volunteers are great, but the Red Cross is so desperate to keep them, that poor behavior and language (racist/sexist/phobic) is not properly disciplined or responded to, if at all. Employee retention is poor, especially in the Disaster Specialist role, because they burn you out so quickly without decent pay.

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