O ccasionally people ask why we must charge a fee for our health and safety education courses. The American Red Cross is a non-profit organization funded by United Way and donations from the community. Many of our services, such as disaster relief, social services and health fairs are free to those who need them. We charge a fee for our health and safety courses in order to cover some of the costs of this program, as well as to expand our services to the public, diversify and stabilize our income base and maximize the use of our charitable dollars. T he Red Cross is committed to providing educational courses regardless of the individuals ability to pay.
Scholarships are available to people who are unable to pay the course fee.
Contributions to this scholarship fund are encouraged, and these scholarships are also funded in part by our course fees. O ur standards are high. The American Red Cross is a leader in providing health and safety courses. We have provided First Aid training for over 76 years. The American Red Cross certificate is recognized and accepted by many national institutions and organizations.