What they do:  CARE has 12 member countries, each of which works with poor communities in more than 70 countries around the world to find lasting solutions to poverty that examine and confront its underlying causes.  They create programs that address empowerment, equity and sustainability by strengthening a community’s capacity for self-help, providing economic opportunities, delivering relief in emergencies, influencing policy decisions and confronting discrimination.  Whenever possible, CARE works with local people in order to expand knowledge and sustainability in the countries in which they fund programs.

History:   CARE stands for “Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere, Inc.” but when it was originally founded in 1945, it stood for “Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe.”  It was originally formed during World War II, when 22 American organizations came together to send lifesaving CARE packages to WWII survivors.  Now one of the world’s largest private humanitarian organizations, it has evolved from sending American surplus food to Europe and later Asia to helping communities everywhere fight poverty through programs created and implemented in the countries where massive poverty exists.  Most of its current staff of 12,000 are citizens of the countries in which CARE works.

Who they collaborate with:  CARE collaborates with corporations that support it financially as well as with donations of time, technical skills and other resources.  Some of these corporations are Motorola, Delta, Johnson & Johnson, Staples, and Starbucks.  They also collaborate with government agencies and other humanitarian organizations on local, national and international levels around the world.  These organizations provide CARE with cash, in-kind donations, expertise and shared resources.

How they are funded:  Most of CARE’s funding comes from large corporations and foundations.   They also get funding from individuals, government agencies, the European Union and the United Nations.  CARE USA contributed more than $517 million in 2004, distributed among 870 projects.  Only 10% of their funding is used for administrative and fund-raising costs.  The other 90% goes to support the poverty-fighting programs CARE maintains around the world.

www.careusa.org