iTunes now accepting Red Cross donations for Superstorm Sandy aid
Apple has activated a portal on its iTunes Store that allows users to give monetary donations directly to the American Red Cross, with the gifts going to relief efforts as those on the Eastern Seaboard cope with the aftermath of Superstorm Sandy.
All told, the hurricane caused 33 U.S. fatalities, billions of dollars in damage and the electrical outages affecting some some 8 million people, 6.9 million of whom are still without power, reports CNN.
To alleviate some of the burden from government agencies, Apple and the Red Cross have partnered to offer an easy and anonymous system of donation giving through the iTunes Store. Because the service is linked with existing credit cards on file through Apple's servers, users can quickly give $5 to $200 simply by signing in to their iTunes account and clicking the "Donate" button.
According to the terms, iTunes will transfer 100 percent of all donations directly to the American Red Cross without sending users' names or contact information. Apple will not allow iTunes Store credit to be used when making donations.
The iTunes and Red Cross giving system was most recently activated following the devastating earthquake and resulting tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011. Before that, Apple offered the service <<a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/01/15/apple_american_red_cross_accept_itunes_donations_for_haiti_relief.html">in 2010, following a series of deadly earthquakes in Haiti.
All told, the hurricane caused 33 U.S. fatalities, billions of dollars in damage and the electrical outages affecting some some 8 million people, 6.9 million of whom are still without power, reports CNN.
To alleviate some of the burden from government agencies, Apple and the Red Cross have partnered to offer an easy and anonymous system of donation giving through the iTunes Store. Because the service is linked with existing credit cards on file through Apple's servers, users can quickly give $5 to $200 simply by signing in to their iTunes account and clicking the "Donate" button.
According to the terms, iTunes will transfer 100 percent of all donations directly to the American Red Cross without sending users' names or contact information. Apple will not allow iTunes Store credit to be used when making donations.
The iTunes and Red Cross giving system was most recently activated following the devastating earthquake and resulting tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011. Before that, Apple offered the service <<a href="http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/01/15/apple_american_red_cross_accept_itunes_donations_for_haiti_relief.html">in 2010, following a series of deadly earthquakes in Haiti.
Comments
I'm in the area that was hit by the storm, but I'm fine, since the particular area that I live in was basically untouched. Other areas were obviously not as lucky. I was outside earlier today, and things were back to normal, with a lot of annoying kids running around dressed up in Halloween costumes and trick-or-treating. It must suck to be a kid today, because they all seem to go trick-or-treating in stores around here. When I was a kid, it was all houses and apartments, not stores. And the tiny bags that they were walking around with contained about one tenth of the total candy haul that I remember getting as a kid. Kids now are also very rude, because I was in a store for a few minutes, and at least 10 kids came in while I was waiting on my order. Out of the ten, I noticed only one of them saying thank you after getting their candy. I wouldn't have given shit to any of the rude little buggers. What kind of terrible parents do those rude kids have?
The entire lower Manhattan does not have electricity, besides a building or two, like Goldman Sachs, and there are two Apple stores located in that area. I'm assuming that they'll be closed on Friday for the iPad launch. Maybe it'll be easier to get an iPad at the other Apple stores, if the stock gets moved from the affected stores, and the other Apple stores will have double the inventory.
As for the Red Cross, sorry, I don't donate to any "non-profit" charities where the CEO makes over a million bucks a year.
Great they are doing this. Don't forget also countries like Haiti that, in terms of ability to provide their own relief, were hit much harder.
Also, "iTunes Store credit cannot be used to make a donation" - why?
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Originally Posted by Apple ][
[...]
As for the Red Cross, sorry, I don't donate to any "non-profit" charities where the CEO makes over a million bucks a year.
What's your source for this? This article says you're wrong. This article agrees with your figure but points out that the figure of merit is the % of funds collected that get to the victims, and in the RC case, this is 92%. Here's a more recent article that puts the CEO salary at $500k (one year, 2010, she was paid double to cover relocating costs), and looks the most authoritative of the three.
The nice thing about the Internet is you can find stuff out so easily. The not so nice thing is you need to do your own BS filtering. Luckily there are some out there doing fact checking, and you can find them if you look. I suggest you read the third article I cite from beginning to end before commenting further.
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Originally Posted by philipm
What's your source for this?
I read it on Forbes.
http://www.forbes.com/lists/2011/14/charities-11_American-National-Red-Cross_CH0013.html
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Originally Posted by stike vomit
Do Apple take a 30% cut of your donation?
Nope, 100% will go to the charity. Apple states that on the donation page.
It would be pretty evil of Apple if they did take a cut.
Are Apple products the best? Yes. But I find it disturbing that big multi-national corporations get such good press merely by acting as a conduit for the real cash donation, which come from John Q Public...you and me. Is it nice that Apple are allowing the iTunes store to be used for this? Sure. But this costs them next to nothing. I'd be far more impressed (and likely to use iTunes to make my donations) if Apple were to say they'd match my donation dollar for dollar. Same goes for every other big corporation out there. Money. Where. Mouth. Is.
Agreed. It would be nice of them
Quote:
Originally Posted by stike vomit
Do Apple take a 30% cut of your donation?
Also, "iTunes Store credit cannot be used to make a donation" - why?
I'm sure Apple don't take a cut - but I am puzzled why iTunes Store credit can't be used...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timbit
It's great that they are doing this, but I hope the money is not used solely in the USA. Other countries were hit hard too, so the relief should be given to all who were affected.
Agreed!
Because then Apple would have to pay out of their pocket. Your gift card purchase means the money is already in Apple's wallet. If you then took your credit and used it for donation, Apple would have to pay out of their pocket
Thanks for the reply.
I hear what you are saying, but as it was myself who put the money into Apples pocket in the first place, I should be able to take it back out and give it to the needy - a bit like Robin Hood or something...
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timbit
It's great that they are doing this, but I hope the money is not used solely in the USA. Other countries were hit hard too, so the relief should be given to all who were affected.
It certainly should not. The American Red Cross is a separate entity from the International Red Cross.
Part of the problem with some of these charities is that you don't know exactly what or where the money is going to.
If I were donating to something, I would need to know exactly where and what the money is going towards. There have been issues and scandals in the past where donated money did not end up going towards the cause which they were advertising for. 9/11 comes to mind.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apple ][
As for the Red Cross, sorry, I don't donate to any "non-profit" charities where the CEO makes over a million bucks a year.
This is one of the many reasons to avoid the American Red Cross. They are a very shady organization. If people knew the things they pulled during 9/11 and Katrina people would think twice about giving to them.
Duplicate Post.. Sorry..
The Red Cross during 9/11 and Katrina pulled the shadiest of crap.
1. The Red Cross pulled out of lower Manhattan the end of Sept 2001 but kept collecting monies well afterwards. During that time they refused to help over 75% of the people that were looking for assistance. Their stipulations were ridiculous.
2. The Red Cross only gave 25% of the monies earmarked for 9/11 to the people there. They claimed they needed the rest of the money for "future things".
3. Katrina - To inflate their stats, the Red Cross would count their numbers helped and then the number of other organizations.
4. Katrina - The Red Cross kept all the "good" items donated and gave them to their workers while the people in need got the left overs.
5 Katrina - acting like a spoiled brat, the Red Cross tried to refuse other organizations access to provide spiritual and physical assistance.
6. The Red Cross has a history of mis-reporting when and where they are actually helping. They employ an outside PR firm that goes out to disaster sites, puts up signs and banners and alerts the media that they are there and don't up until much later.
7. And yes, the CEO does make an OBSCENE amount of money. Ridiculous if you ask me.
There are many other well caring organizations that could use the money in a efficient manner. Think twice before giving..
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Originally Posted by MoXoM
Quote:
Originally Posted by Timbit
Because then Apple would have to pay out of their pocket. Your gift card purchase means the money is already in Apple's wallet. If you then took your credit and used it for donation, Apple would have to pay out of their pocket
Thanks for the reply.
I hear what you are saying, but as it was myself who put the money into Apples pocket in the first place, I should be able to take it back out and give it to the needy - a bit like Robin Hood or something...
Well, it would sort of make a hash out of reporting sales and profits.
Yesterday all the Democrats and PBS were slamming Romney on his thoughts of privatizing much of the work that FEMA does. They all said that only government can do the job correctly. So I'm taking a page out of their book. The Red Cross and others are private organizations, not government. If government can do it better, why are we donating to these inefficient private-based organizations?