Voluntary Organizations

In September the U.S. Government Accountability Office published an interesting report on the place of voluntary organizations in responding to disasters. The description of the Red Cross's role was particularly interesting: "The Red Cross is realigning its regional chapters to better support its local chapters and improve efficiency and establishing new partnerships with local community-based organizations. Most recently, however, a budget shortfall has prompted the organization to reduce staff and alter its approach to supporting FEMA and state emergency management agencies."