About
CARE is one of the world's largest international humanitarian organizations, working around the world to save lives, defeat poverty, and fight for people, especially women and families. Founded in 1945 as a coalition of 22 American charities sending food and supplies to families in war-torn Europe, CARE became famous for the original CARE Package, a powerful symbol of generosity, relief, and hope after World War II. Today CARE USA (legal name Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere Inc, EIN 13-1685039) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, and a global leader in a worldwide movement dedicated to ending poverty.
Mission
CARE works around the world to save lives, defeat poverty, and fight for people, especially women and families, placing women and girls at the center of its work because it believes poverty cannot be overcome until all people have equal rights and opportunities.
What they do
- Crisis and disaster response, including current emergency work supporting mothers and families in Gaza, Sudan, and Ukraine
- Food and nutrition security
- Health services
- Climate action
- Education and skills development
- Economic growth and empowerment
- Advancing equality for women and girls
History
CARE was established in 1945, when an inspired group of Americans formed a coalition of 22 charities to send food and supplies to families in postwar Europe. During the Berlin Airlift of 1948-1949, CARE flew 200,000 CARE Package parcels into the blockaded city, and roughly 100 million food parcels were distributed through the 1970s. In 1961 President Kennedy asked CARE to train Peace Corps volunteers; the organization mounted major responses to the Ethiopian famine in 1984-1985 and the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami across eight countries. In 1993 CARE committed to focusing its work on women and girls. It revived the CARE Package during the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver food and hygiene supplies to frontline workers, and relaunched it in 2026 for a new generation.
Scale and impact
In fiscal year 2024, CARE reached 53 million people across 123 countries — the largest annual reach in the organization's history. CARE reports that 90 percent of all its expenses go to program services.
Financials
According to ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer (IRS Form 990, fiscal year ending June 2025), CARE USA reported total revenue of $832,911,696, total expenses of $836,532,086, and total assets of $612,669,143.
Governance
CARE is led by President and CEO Michelle Nunn, with a board of directors co-chaired by Susan Hassan and Richard Stengel.