How Red Bird Funding Works

The Red Bird Foundation is currently an entirely volunteer-run organization. No one at Red Bird is an employee, and no one receives a salary or hourly wage, yet. Our coordinators, board members, fundraisers, event planners, and Angel delivery drivers all give their time because they care deeply about helping people in our community.

We also do not receive large general donations or have a large pool of unrestricted money that we can pull from whenever a need arises. Most donations come in response to a specific, small request posted for a particular neighbor. When someone donates toward that request, those funds are designated for that person’s need and go directly toward fulfilling it.

For example, if the community funds a request for medication, a bed, work shoes, emergency food, transportation, or an air-conditioning unit, that money cannot simply be redirected to salaries, office expenses, or another unrelated need. It is committed to the request the donor chose to support. This keeps our model transparent and helps donors see exactly where their money goes, but it also means Red Bird has very little flexible operating money.

We do not yet receive operational block grants or consistent unrestricted funding. Because of that, we currently do not have the resources to offer paid positions. Our Angel drivers may receive a small $5 gas reimbursement for a delivery, but otherwise everyone is volunteering their time, labor, vehicles, and skills.

Red Bird began as a passion project and continues to operate that way while we build our board, apply for grants, seek donations, and develop a stronger funding base.

Grants take time, and until reliable operational funding is secured, the organization will remain volunteer-led.

Our work focuses on urgent needs that often fall through the cracks of larger and better-funded programs. We help provide life-saving medications, emergency transportation, food, clothing, hygiene supplies, work shoes, air-conditioning units, comfortable beds, and other essentials. Whenever possible, we bring that help directly to the person who needs it.

We do not just provide assistance. We deliver HOPE.

If you would like to make a donation to our operational fund, we welcome your donation with open arms. The more operational funding we have, the more hours we can devote to helping others.