Internal and External Factors Paper

Internal and External Factors Starting from one man 's kind gesture to help wounded soldiers, The Red Cross has grown to be known around the world for their compassionate care for those in need; Working to prevent and/or relieve suffering, the Red Cross is made up of donors, volunteers, and employees. These people come together from all walks of life in order to help those less fortunate or those who have been over-taken by disaster. There are five key service areas in which the Red Cross provides support; disaster relief, supporting America 's Military families, lifesaving blood, health and safety services, and International services (Red Cross, 2013). Since being founded in1881 by Clara Barton, the Red Cross has been a consistent lifeline for those in need both in America and around the world (Red Cross, 2013). Of course, a lot has changed since 1881 in technology and just the everyday way of life, therefore The Red Cross has had to adapt as well in order to keep up and continue to run a successful organization. They have made good use of technology by use of Internet and data bases, which provide help and comfort to families who have had to endure disasters. For example, throughout many major disasters such as tornados, hurricanes, floods, and many other chaotic disasters, American Red Cross makes it possible for families to access a database and post their name and a message which then pushes out to Facebook and twitter letting other family members know they are ok. As a matter of face, after Hurricane Katrina, the American Red Cross partnered with Microsoft Corp. to create Safe and Well, a website used during disasters and other emergency situations. Survivors list themselves as unharmed and write a brief message, which can be automatically posted to their Twitter and Facebook profiles. People can search the database for registrants (Chang, 2013). Most recently, American Red Cross used this technology to help people get messages out during the Boston

References: Chang, A. (2013, April 19). Internet connected loved ones after boston bombings. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/19/business/la-fi-tech-savvy-boston-bombing-20130420 American Red Cross Conflict of Interest Disclosure Questionnaire, Rev., October 2009; http://www.redcross.org/images/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m4240139_BOGConflictOfInterest.pdf http://redcross.org/news http://www.redcross.org/what-we-do