American Red Cross Receives AICPA'S WebTrust Certification.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 21, 2001

First Charitable Organization To Incorporate WebTrust

E-Business Standards to Protect Donor and

User Information in the United States

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) announced today that the American Red Cross has met all of the WebTrust e-business standards and been certified with WebTrust. A leading non-profit organization that handles inquiries and donations from thousands of site visitors, the Red Cross turned to WebTrust for a global standard that provides a safe, secure on-line environment. The WebTrust standards include procedures, controls and disclosures regarding on-line privacy, security, business practices and service quality. To be certified by the WebTrust program, the Red Cross had to comply with its standards and undergo a rigorous, independent examination of its Web site by KPMG LLP. Of particular importance was how RedCross.org handled donor personal information and funds, and whether these funds were used as disclosed on the site.

"The Internet has made it easier for non-profit organizations to raise funds quickly and efficiently while reaching wider audiences," said Anthony Pugliese, Vice President of Member Innovation for the AICPA. "People need to feel comfortable giving personal information or donating money to organizations online just as they do with other e-commerce transactions, like online bill payment or shopping. They also want to know how their donations are being spent and they're looking for disclosures on the site. The WebTrust standards provide non-profit organizations with the guidance they need to develop sound e-business models and to satisfy their donor concerns."

"The privacy and security of donor information sent over the Internet are top concerns among Internet users, " said Jack Campbell, Chief Financial Officer of the American Red Cross. "At RedCross.org, we share their concerns and have taken steps to provide on-line privacy protection and security around the transmission of privacy information for our donors. In addition, donors want to know that their contributions are being spent according to what the Web site discloses - KPMG used the WebTrust standards to verify this for us as well. That's why we're pleased that the American Red Cross is the first non-profit Web site in the U.S. to receive a WebTrust Seal. It sends a clear message to our donors and people visiting our site that their privacy is protected and their donation transactions are safe, secure and targeted to the right cause."

Developed jointly by the AICPA and the Canadian Institute of Chartered Accountants (CICA), WebTrust moves beyond self-assessment programs -- it provides consulting to site managers on how utilize best business practices for e-commerce management and requires a CPA to independently verify that the site complies with all of the WebTrust standards before the WebTrust Seal is issued.

Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the American Red Cross is dedicated to helping make families and communities safer at home and around the world. A humanitarian service organization currently operating on a budget of $2.7 billion, the American Red Cross annually mobilizes relief to the victims of more than 63,000 disasters nationwide and has been the primary supplier of lifesaving blood and blood products in the United States for more than 50 years. The American Red Cross also trains more than 11.7 million people in vital lifesaving skills, provides direct health services to 2.5 million people, provides more than 24 million locally relevant community services, assists international disaster and conflict victims in more than 50 countries, and transmits nearly 1.4 million emergency messages between members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families. Dr. Bernadine Healy is President and CEO. The web site is located at www.redcross.org.

KPMG LLP is the accounting and tax firm that understands the needs of business in the global economy. We help our clients by devising results-oriented business strategies, providing insights that help them stay ahead of the competition and achieve market-leading results. KPMG LLP is the U.S. member firm of KPMG International. KPMG International's member firms have more than 108,000 professionals, including 7,000 partners, in 159 countries. KPMG's Web site is http://www.us.kpmg.com

The American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) is the ISO 9001 certified national professional organization of CPAs in the United States with more than 340,000 members in public practice, business and industry, government and education. For more information about WebTrust, please visit www.webtrust.org.