Care

About CARE

CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. We place special focus on working alongside poor women because, equipped with the proper resources, women have the power to help whole families and entire communities escape poverty. Women are at the heart of CARE's community-based efforts to improve basic education, prevent the spread of HIV, increase access to clean water and sanitation, expand economic opportunity and protect natural resources. CARE also delivers emergency aid to survivors of war and natural disasters, and helps people rebuild their lives.

Click here for answers to some of our most frequently asked questions (FAQs).

Our Mission

Our mission is to serve individuals and families in the poorest communities in the world. Drawing strength from our global diversity, resources and experience, we promote innovative solutions and are advocates for global responsibility. We facilitate lasting change by:

* Strengthening capacity for self-help

* Providing economic opportunity

* Delivering relief in emergencies

* Influencing policy decisions at all levels

* Addressing discrimination in all its forms

Guided by the aspirations of local communities, we pursue our mission with both excellence and compassion because the people whom we serve deserve nothing less.

Our Board of Directors

CARE's board of directors is the organization's governing body, elected by the members at an annual meeting. All members are responsible for gaining a basic understanding and initiating action in support of CARE's mission, goals and programs. This includes assisting in expanding CARE's outreach and increasing its visibility and donor support. All board members are volunteers and serve without compensation.

Our Executive Team

The board of directors appoints CARE's president, treasurer and secretary. The president appoints the rest of CARE's executive team, including chief of staff and senior vice presidents of finance, IT and administration; human resources; program; and external relations.

Our History

CARE is one of the world's largest private international humanitarian organizations, committed to helping families in poor communities improve their lives and achieve lasting victories over poverty. Founded in 1945 to provide relief to survivors of World War II, CARE quickly became a trusted vehicle for the compassion and generosity of milCARE is one of the world's largest private humanitarian organizations. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, we're part of an international confederation of 11 member organizations committed to helping communities in the developing world achieve lasting victories over poverty.

The scope of our mission has changed considerably since our founding in 1945, when 22 American organizations came together to rush lifesaving CARE Packages to survivors of World War II. Thousands of Americans, including President Harry S. Truman contributed to the effort. (Get QuickTime to watch this video of the president.) On May 11, 1946, the first 20,000 packages reached the battered port of Le Havre, France. Some 100 million more CARE Packages reached people in need during the next two decades, first in Europe and later in Asia and other parts of the developing world.

Over the years, our work has expanded as we've addressed the world's most threatening problems. In the 1950s, we expanded into emerging nations and used U.S. surplus food to feed the hungry. In the 1960s, we pioneered primary health care programs. In the 1970s, CARE responded to massive famines in Africa with both emergency relief and long-term agroforestry projects, integrating environmentally sound tree- and land-management practices with farming programs.

Today, our staff of more than 12,000 -- most of whom are citizens of the countries where we work-- help strengthen communities through an array of programs that work to create lasting solutions to root causes of poverty.

Our Name

We've always been known by the acronym "CARE," but the meaning behind the letters has changed as our mission has broadened. When we were founded in 1945,