The Washington Post reports today that the Red Cross isn't as good a steward with your donations as they should be.

The American Red Cross paid consultants more than $500,000 in the past three years to pitch its name in Hollywood, recruit stars for its "Celebrity Cabinet" and brand its chief executive as the face of the Red Cross -- just a year before ousting her, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post.

This is a recurring theme with the Red Cross. Here in San Diego, an investigation by the Union-Tribune found that after the 2001 Alpine fire, only 10 percent of donations to help the vicitms actually made it to them. Instead, money was spent on new telecommunications equipment and "administration" (read: salaries).

I encourage you, if you wish to donate in the wake of disasters, to consider sending money to the Salvation Army. The Salvation Army does similar work, and they don't pay their executives six-figure salaries or spend money on "branding."