About
UNICEF USA (legally the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, doing business as UNICEF USA) rallies the American public to support UNICEF's global mission for the world's most vulnerable children. For eight decades, the New York-based nonprofit has partnered with American corporations, faith-based and civil society organizations, individuals, philanthropic foundations, and government agencies to deliver critical nutrition, health, education, and lifesaving humanitarian aid for children. It was the first of UNICEF's 33 National Committees, each established as an independent local non-governmental organization.
Mission
UNICEF USA advances the global mission of UNICEF by mobilizing American support and advocating for policies that improve outcomes for children globally. It supports UNICEF's work to develop smarter, more cost-effective solutions, scale up proven, data-driven programs, and harness new technologies to create measurable change for children.
What they do
- Fundraising: in 2023, UNICEF USA raised more than $850 million in contributions from hundreds of thousands of individual and corporate donors, in addition to the U.S. government's voluntary contribution to UNICEF.
- Advocacy: a Washington, D.C.-based team urges decision-makers to implement policies and budgets that support children, complemented by state and local advocacy work.
- Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF: an American tradition for 75 years that has raised nearly $200 million to date in flexible funding for UNICEF programs.
- Impact investing: the Impact Fund for Children (IF4C) develops financial solutions for social impact investors, including a Child-lens Investing Framework launched with UNICEF in 2023.
- Child rights in U.S. business: research-backed guidance for companies on child rights standards, including prevention of hazardous child labor in U.S. supply chains, and the Community Alliance for Child Rights working to improve children's wellbeing in the U.S.
Scale and impact
UNICEF USA reports that of every dollar it receives, 86 cents goes toward helping children, with about 12 cents spent on fundraising and 2 cents on administration, making it consistently the top National Committee directing funding toward UNICEF's work. It holds GuideStar's Platinum Seal of Transparency, a Four-Star rating from Charity Navigator, a place on CharityWatch's list of Top-Rated Charities, and GlobalGiving Superstar status. UNICEF itself operates in over 190 countries and territories.
Financials
Per its Form 990 data on ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer for the fiscal year ending June 2025, the United States Fund for UNICEF reported total revenue of $835.2 million, total expenses of $594.1 million, and net assets of $441.8 million. The organization has been recognized as tax-exempt by the IRS since 1949 (ruling date August 1949). It is a 501(c)(3) organization, EIN 13-1760110, headquartered at 125 Maiden Lane, New York, NY.
Governance
Michael J. Nyenhuis serves as CEO and President, with a National Board of Directors and regional advisory boards (per the organization's leadership pages).