The American Red Cross has long been recognized as the universal symbol of humanitarian services —and it's an expensive operation. "When the White House starts raising money, when the big corporations, the NFL, Hollywood A-listers are raising money for the aftermath of a disaster, it's most likely targeted toward the American Red Cross." When CNBC inquired about the pricing of these products, the American Red Cross responded that "prices for a unit of red blood cells is proprietary information. A majority of the American Red Cross' operating expenses, just over $2 billion, is also spent on collecting blood, according to its financial statements. Watch the video above to see how the American Red Cross makes and spends its billions.

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Persons: Jake Johnston, Laurie Styron, Michael Thatcher Organizations: Center for Economic, White House, NFL, Hollywood, CNBC, Cross, Navigator