What CARE Is All About
CARE is a global leader in a worldwide movement dedicated to ending poverty. Known everywhere for its unshakeable commitment to the dignity of people, CARE works tirelessly to make a difference. With nearly 80 years of service, this organization has built deep community trust by listening closely to what people want and developing solutions they truly need. It’s not just about aid—it’s about respect, partnership, and lasting change.
Main Benefits and Key Figures
Here’s a quick snapshot of CARE’s incredible reach and impact:
- 90% of all expenses go directly to program services—meaning most of the money supports lifesaving work.
- This year alone, CARE and its partners worked in 121 countries.
- More than 1,467 projects reached 58.7 million people worldwide.
- 97% of CARE’s staff come from the countries or regions where they work, allowing for quick emergency responses and long-term support.
- Every $1 donated rushes 5 times the aid to families battling hunger, displacement, and conflict.
Women and Girls: The Heart of Change
Women are absolutely vital to CARE’s community-based efforts. They play a key role in improving basic education, increasing access to quality health care, and expanding economic opportunity for everyone. CARE knows that poverty can’t be ended while inequality persists. Discrimination against women doesn’t just hurt women—it has negative implications for entire communities. So, empowering women and girls is at the core of everything CARE does.
Responding to Crisis
When emergencies strike—whether natural disasters, conflicts, or ongoing crises—CARE is there. The organization helps people around the world during these critical moments, providing immediate relief and long-term support. Because CARE’s staff are mostly local, they can respond quickly and stay long after the TV cameras have left, ensuring communities rebuild stronger than before.
Fighting Hunger and Improving Health
Hunger and malnutrition remain the leading threats to public health worldwide. CARE tackles these head-on, focusing on food and water security to save lives. On the health front, the story of global health over recent decades is really a story of staggering inequality. CARE works to close that gap, making sure everyone has access to quality health care—because good health is the foundation for a better life.
Project Impact and Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)
- SDG 1: No Poverty
- SDG 2: Zero Hunger
- SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being
- SDG 4: Quality Education
- SDG 5: Gender Equality
- SDG 6: Clean Water and Sanitation
- SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities
- SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals
Education and Skills: Tools for Overcoming Poverty
Education and the right to work are some of the most powerful tools in overcoming extreme poverty. CARE focuses on expanding access to education and skills training, helping people build better futures for themselves and their families. It’s about opening doors and creating opportunities—because when people learn and grow, whole communities thrive.
What CARE actually does
CARE was founded in 1945 by a group of Americans seeking to alleviate suffering in the aftermath of World War II, beginning with the original CARE Package program. Eighty years later, CARE runs global programs spanning crisis and disaster response, food and water security, health, education, economic growth, and women’s and girls’ equality.
Where the programs show up
- Crisis and disaster response: emergency relief programs in affected regions worldwide.
- Food and nutrition: programs addressing hunger and malnutrition, framed around the statistic that a child dies from malnutrition every 13 seconds.
- Women and girls’ equality: programs specifically targeting economic and social empowerment for women and girls.
Proof, not just claims
CARE holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and is accredited by Charity Watch.
Why this belongs on a sustainability directory
CARE connects to SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 4 (quality education), and SDG 5 (gender equality) through eight decades of programs targeting hunger, health, education, and women’s economic empowerment across crisis and development settings worldwide.
Frequently asked questions
Where is CARE based, and who uses it?
CARE was founded in 1945 in the United States and now operates humanitarian and development programs globally, serving communities affected by poverty, hunger, and crisis.
Which SDGs does CARE support, and how?
CARE supports SDG 1 (no poverty), SDG 2 (zero hunger), SDG 3 (good health and well-being), SDG 4 (quality education), and SDG 5 (gender equality) through programs spanning crisis response, nutrition, health, education, and women’s economic empowerment.
How is CARE verified as a sustainability project?
CARE holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, is accredited by Charity Watch, and reports that 90% of its expenses go directly to program services.
Looking for similar Health & Well-being projects?
See Health & Well-being projects on Keys for Tomorrow.
