American National Red Cross
Washington, DC · EIN 530196605 · FY2023 is the latest filing on record · pre-cached
The American National Red Cross proves that investing in people isn't a flaw, it's a foundation.
In its latest fiscal year, the American National Red Cross reported $3.2B in revenue and $3.0B in expenses, resulting in an 8% operating margin. This is notably higher than its 13-year average operating margin of 1%. The organization maintains a healthy operating reserve of 12.2 months, which is a 4.5 month increase since its earliest record.
Myth
A good charity spends very little on staff.
Reality
The American National Red Cross allocates 43% of its spending to compensation, placing it in the 76th percentile among its peers. This suggests a significant investment in its human capital, which is crucial for delivering its services effectively.
Myth
Charities should rely almost entirely on donations.
Reality
Only 29% of the American National Red Cross's revenue comes from donations. A substantial 67% is generated through earned revenue, demonstrating a diversified and sustainable funding model beyond direct contributions.
Myth
High fundraising costs mean a charity is inefficient.
Reality
The American National Red Cross spends less than 1 cent in professional fundraising fees for every dollar contributed, indicating highly efficient fundraising operations.
Multi-year trend
Operating reserve months
Net assets ÷ monthly expenses — how long the org could run on savings alone.
Operating margin
(Revenue − expenses) ÷ revenue, per fiscal year.
How it compares to peers
Percentile rank among 73 Human Services organizations. Higher is framed as better on every bar here — including reserves and staff investment, which conventional overhead-ratio scoring would penalize.
Dashed line = peer median (50th percentile)
Ask about American National Red Cross
Answers are grounded only in this org's filed financial data above -- it won't guess at their programs, leadership, or anything not shown on this page.
Source: latest Form 990 PDF via ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer.