[joelrunyon]

Maybe. Maybe not.

Admin costs + charity projects are actually separate bank accounts. You can see their financials on their site[1], but part of their angle is that you can actually see where the money is going. It's not just ethereal, it's where their money is actually going.

Half of what this post is about is The Red Cross not being trust-worthy because of their lack of transparency in where funds go + are allocated to projects.

It might be marketing - just as knowing your funds are secure in a bank - or your overall brand reputation is marketing - but it's not a gimmick.

[1]https://www.charitywater.org/about/financials.php