Some Iowans Irked by Red Cross Fund-Raising Effort

While raising money in northeastern Iowa for victims of a tornado there in May, the American Red Cross has stepped on a few toes — including those of Sen. Charles E. Grassley, Republican of Iowa, reports The New York Times.

Even after the disaster-relief charity’s local office announced it had gathered enough money to pay for its expected costs, estimated to be $255,000, the national office of the Red Cross has continued to raise money from area residents. So far, the group says, it has raised $400,000 there, but not all of the money is for tornado victims.

“It looks like Iowans received a mixed message about Red Cross needs in Iowa after the tornado,” Mr. Grassley wrote to the Times in an e-mail message. “When the Iowa tornado relief effort is finished, the national organization needs to take a hard look at whether it confused fund-raising efforts on the ground.”

The Red Cross says that it originally underestimated the cost of helping the victims and now pegs the total amount at more than $350,000. But some observers have criticized the organization for not working more closely with local groups, as the Red Cross had promised to do after Hurricane Katrina.

“Everywhere I turn, the Red Cross is there like a giant vacuum cleaner, sweeping up every dollar they can,” says Kevin Truax, an insurance agent in Parkersburg, Iowa, who helped create a fund for the storm’s victims. “Where’s the money all going?”

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