Red Cross Club Requirements
So you’ve decided you want to start a Red Cross Club. Let’s learn more about what it means to be a Red Cross Club.
A Red Cross Club provides you and your peers opportunities to make a meaningful impact in your community by addressing its greatest needs, and develop leadership skills. Red Cross Clubs empower you with knowledge and life-saving skills to help prepare your school and community to respond to emergencies. Your first step is to read and review Club in a Box: A toolkit to help you start a Red Cross Club and this guide on Red Cross Club Requirements.
Red Cross Club Requirements:
- Get started and register. All Club members need to be registered Red Cross volunteers. Reach out to your local Red Cross Unit, and sign up!
- Get oriented. All Red Cross volunteers must complete a Volunteer Orientation. Contact your local Red Cross Unit about signing up for an already scheduled orientation or hosting one specifically for your Club.
- Become official. When you kick-start your Club and at the beginning of each school year, submit or renew a Red Cross Club registration in Volunteer Connection. Learn How to Register your Club.
- Break out those writing chops. Submit a Club Constitution to your local Red Cross Unit when you start your Club and at the beginning of each school year. See appendix for sample constitution. (See more below)
- The bonds are stronger than you think. Remember the Mission, Vision, and Fundamental Principles of the Global Red Cross Network while conducting all your Club activities.
- Get recognition by getting a sponsor. Red Cross Clubs can be sponsored by a school, parent, or community organization. Your Club must have an adult sponsor/advisor who is a registered volunteer with a local Red Cross Unit to be recognized as a Club.
- Three is not a crowd. Have a minimum of four active members.
- Preparedness, blood, fundraising. Plan and coordinate a minimum of three Red Cross mission-related service projects per year. The service projects should focus on preparedness, blood, and fundraising. Use our great Activity Guides to stay on track with exciting service projects.
- Be creative. Coordinate additional Red Cross mission-related service projects throughout the year. Service projects should fall into one of the Red Cross lines of service: Preparedness and Health and Safety Services, Biomedical Services, Disaster Services, International Services, and Service to Armed Forces
- Get recognition. Track your Club activities/service projects in Volunteer Connection.
- Keep in touch with the locals. Contact your Red Cross Unit to share Club activities and receive information on upcoming Red Cross initiatives and activities.
- Rally the troops. Participate in your local Red Cross unit’s ongoing fundraising initiatives and notify your local Red Cross Unit prior to hosting fundraisers.
- Know your stuff. Follow Brand Guidelines when you want to send emails or make fliers.
- Keep Red Cross within Red Cross. Only use the national Branded Merchandise vendor for any promotional products your Club needs.
Red Cross Club Constitution
It is required that all Red Cross Clubs nationwide have a constitution. Additionally, many schools require clubs to submit an official club constitution before being approved as an official school organization.
Red Cross Clubs must submit a Club Constitution to their Red Cross Unit at the beginning of each school year.
We’ve created a standard Red Cross Club Constitution, which you should use to run your Club. You can change it to fit the general structure of your club.
Check out the Red Cross Club toolkits for more helpful hints on how to start and grow your Red Cross Club!
Find a Red Cross Club
Are you wondering where our Red Cross Clubs are located? Is there a Red Cross Club at your school or in your community? Check out the Red Cross Club Listing page. The page provides an overview of the registered Red Cross Clubs in each state and allows you to see details about specific Clubs. You can search by zip or city and can filter by age group within your state.
