The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has donated $7 million to the American Red Cross to strengthen the organization’s blood collection abilities, expand work supporting people living with sickle cell disease and increase Red Cross disaster response capacity.
The donation includes $2.937 million for Blood Services medical equipment, $2 million for the Red Cross Sickle Cell Initiative, $800,000 for 50 new Power Red collection machines, $710,000 toward improvements and expansion of the Red Cross blood laboratory in Murray, Utah, and $600,000 for four emergency response vehicles.
The donation was announced Friday, Oct. 2, on ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
The Church is also donating an additional $850,000 to support the Red Cross disaster relief efforts in Guam and the Mariana Islands, following Super Typhoon Sinlaku in April 2026. According to the Red Cross, the islands in the Pacific Ocean were hit with a one-two punch of two major storms within 80 days of each other, complicating recovery efforts.
“We are grateful for the opportunity to strengthen the American Red Cross’s ability to care for people facing serious illness and communities recovering from disasters,” said Presiding Bishop W. Christopher Waddell. “As followers of Jesus Christ, we seek to care for our neighbors, lift burdens and bring hope to individuals and families in times of need.”
Heidi Ruster, chief executive officer of the American Red Cross Utah/Nevada Region, said the gift will strengthen several parts of the Red Cross mission.
“The investment in Murray also strengthens our capacity here in Utah for years to come,” she said.
Continuing a long history of support
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a long history of collaboration and donation with the American Red Cross, dating back to the late 1800s.
The Church is the largest single contributor to the American Red Cross blood drives. Annually, Latter-day Saints donate approximately 97,000 units of blood through thousands of drives. Over three decades, the American Red Cross has received more than 1 million units through some 37,000 drives hosted by the Church.
“Working with the American Red Cross, we can help expand access to essential services and support individuals, families and communities as they build greater stability and resilience,” said Blaine Maxfield, managing director of the Church’s Welfare and Self-Reliance Services.
Cliff Holtz, American Red Cross CEO, said the Church has led the way in helping their mission move forward.
“We are deeply grateful for the Church’s unwavering partnership and extraordinary generosity year after year, helping us provide critical disaster relief and lifesaving blood to those in need,” he said.
The Church made a one-time donation of $5.1 million to the American Red Cross on Thursday, Aug. 7, 2025.
That donation supported critical efforts, including equipment for new donor centers and programs supporting sickle cell disease treatment.
The Church donated $7.35 million to the organization in 2024 to help purchase blood equipment and biomedical emergency vehicles and assist with blood-donor engagement initiatives and support for patients with sickle cell disease. A similar donation of $8.7 million was made in 2023.
These donations are separate from the Church’s donations to the Red Cross to aid in emergency relief, volunteer support and collaboration on blood drives.
