Privacy Policy

The Data We Collect

Our websites and mobile apps provide convenient ways for you to access our services and learn about important Red Cross opportunities and events. We collect information about our online visitors both directly from our visitors and indirectly from other companies that provide data to us. We use this information to communicate with our supporters and clients and process their transactions. We do not sell it to other organizations.

When you use our websites or apps to make a financial contribution, register for a class or special event, sign up to volunteer, apply for a job, or make a blood donation appointment, we may ask you for your name, address, phone number(s), and other information relevant to the transaction. We will ask for standard credit card information when you make a financial donation, pay for a class, or make a purchase.

We obtain information about our online visitors from other sources as well. For example, we engage vendors that provide contact information and other data. We use this data to help us engage with people who may be interested in participating in Red Cross activities or contributing to the Red Cross mission.

We also collect non-personal information about our online visitors using “cookies”, pixels, web beacons, and other technologies that operate automatically when you visit our website. We use this information to give our website visitors a more relevant online experience and to help us make website improvements. The information helps us understand which parts of our websites are the most popular, where our online visitors are going, and how long they spend there. If you do not want us to collect information using cookies, you can disable this function in your browser. If you block cookies from us, however, you may not be able to see personalized content and our website may not function optimally.

When you use one of our mobile applications, we may collect information from you directly or using automated means.

When you use our Emergency, Tornado, Hurricane, and Earthquake mobile applications, we collect the following information that enables us to provide the emergency notification services you have requested:

• information about your device, including device identifiers and the device's current operating system,
• the locations you are monitoring so you can receive information about emergencies in those locations,
• your current, approximate location, if you have expressly indicated you wish to receive information about emergencies in your location.  In addition, if you allow our apps to collect location information while the apps are running in the background, we may be able to send you emergency alerts for areas in which you may be travelling.

When you give us permission, we have access to, but will not collect or store, your contact list, including phone numbers and images.

When you use our Blood Donor mobile application and make an account, we ask for your name, email address, date of birth, and zip code.  If you choose, you can include a photo, your address, and your phone number.  We also automatically collect the following information that enables us to help schedule a blood donation appointment at a convenient location:

• information about your device, including device identifiers and the device’s current operating system,
• your current, approximate location, if you have expressly indicated you wish to receive information about blood donation appointments in your location.  

When you use our Pet First Aid or First Aid mobile applications, we automatically collect the following information:

• information about your device, including device identifiers and the device’s current operating system,
• your current, approximate location, if you have expressly indicated you wish to receive information about veterinarians or hospitals in your location.  

When you use our Pet First Aid app, we will also ask for information about your pet.

When you use our Swim app, we automatically collect information about your device, including device identifiers and the device’s current operating system.  If you choose, you can provide a child’s name, picture and badges.

When you use our HeroCare mobile application, we ask for information about the service member, including name, zipcode, email address, rank and other service-related information.  We also automatically collect the following information:

• information about your device, including device identifiers and the device's current operating system,
• your current, approximate location, if you have expressly given permission.

When you give us permission, we have access to, but will not collect or store, your contact list, including phone numbers and images.

We do not collect any personal information when you use any of our VR apps (such as Lifeguard VR).

How We Secure Data

We use a variety of security measures to protect your data. We maintain physical, electronic and procedural safeguards to help prevent unauthorized access to and improper use of personally identifiable information.

We protect the security of credit card transactions using a number of measures such as encryption, access controls, network firewalls, and physical security. These measures make it extremely difficult for anyone to intercept the credit card information you send to us. When we work with other companies to process credit card transactions, those companies also use encryption and other appropriate security measures.

No website or electronic data can ever be completely secure, but we are always working to maintain up-to-date and appropriate security mechanisms.

How We Use Your Information

If you provide the Red Cross with personal information when you visit our websites or use our mobile apps, we may use the information in our programs and activities. We may enter your information into one of our databases so we can contact you to obtain your input, provide information about our programs and events, request donations, or provide a more personalized online experience.

The Red Cross does not sell, trade, or share our donors’ personally identifiable information with any other entity, except as described below. We do not send mailings to our donors on behalf of other organizations unless the donor has given us specific permission to do so.

On occasion, the Red Cross may share your information with our vendors and other partners that help us with our activities and programs. For example, we share information with vendors that help us fulfill orders, manage data, and process donations and credit card payments. These vendors are bound by strict confidentiality rules and are permitted to use the information only to support Red Cross operations. We also disclose information as required by law.

We Care About Doing it Right

The Red Cross is committed to accuracy and precision in processing your information. We have procedures to check for errors, and our systems are periodically audited to make sure we process your information securely and accurately.

If you need to contact us to review your information or make corrections, please use this form.

Note to Parents About Our Privacy Policy

The Red Cross has a variety of programs for children, including mobile apps, Alexa Skills, and Google Actions. We hope that children and parents will visit our websites and use our apps and voice experiences together so they can jointly learn about the Red Cross and opportunities for children to participate. The Red Cross does not intentionally collect personally-identifying information from people under age 13. Our apps and voice experiences automatically collect data about users' devices to give users a customized experience and help us make content improvements, but this data is not identifiable to an individual.

To Unsubscribe/Opt-Out

To unsubscribe from American Red Cross phone calls, e-mails, texts or mail, or to let us know how you would like us to contact you, please send an e-mail to the following addresses: 

• Financial Donor Unsubscribe: [email protected]
• Blood Donor Unsubscribe: [email protected]