A Premise

Something has changed.

A new kind of application is showing up inside the Red Cross — without a clear path for it.

A small, purpose-built web application used to need a team and a budget.

Now one person can build it in a few days.

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A Business Case Seeking Guidance

Red Cross Has a Path for Reports. Red Cross Has a Path for Maps. Red Cross Has a Path for Documents. What Is the Path for Operational Applications?

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What an Operational Application Is

An operational application is a web page that works like a program.Not a file you open in Excel, Word, Power BI, or ArcGIS. Its own small piece of software.

Three examples. Each one is valuable. Each one is used. None has an organizational ownership path.

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Today and Proposed

Today

Valuable Tool

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One Volunteer Owns It

Built by a volunteer. Depends on that volunteer to run, update, and keep alive.

Proposed

Valuable Tool

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Red Cross Owns It

Owned, documented, supported, and transferable. It outlives whoever built it.

The Ask

Help Define the Path: Who Owns It · Where It Lives · How It Is Reviewed · How It Transfers

Prepared by Jeff Franzen · American Red Cross · September 2026

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