Non-Governmental Organizations
Amnesty International
Established in: 1961Global presence: 150+ countries
Amnesty International is an advocacy NGO based in the UK. It claims to have more than ten million members and supporters. Its goal is to promote and protect human rights through awareness campaigns and mobilizing the public. Areas of focus include torture, the death penalty, police brutality, and climate justice.
AI's impact includes freeing immigrants and asylum-seekers kept in unlawful detention and helping change public opinion on issues like the death penalty. In 2021, AI raised €357m for human rights work. 45% was spent on human rights research, advocacy, campaigning, and education.
AVAAZ
Established in: 2007Global presence: Worldwide
Avaaz—meaning "voice" in several European, Middle Eastern and Asian languages—launched in 2007 with a simple democratic mission: organize citizens of all nations to close the gap between the world we have and the world most people everywhere want.
Avaaz is a US-based nonprofit organization that promotes global activism on issues such as climate change, human rights, animal rights, corruption, poverty, and conflict. The word avaaz means 'voice' in several Asian and European languages. In 2012, The Guardian referred to Avaaz as "the globe's largest and most powerful online activist network".
Avaaz global campaigns are managed by a team of campaigners working from more than 30 countries, including the UK, India, Lebanon and Brazil. These campaigners communicate with members via email; they employ campaigning tactics including online public petitions, videos, and email-your-leader tools. In some cases, Avaaz also uses advertisements; solicits legal advice on how best to take a campaign forward; and stages sit-ins, rallies, phone-ins and media friendly stunts. One example of such a stunt is taking a herd of cardboard pigs to the doors of the World Health Organization to demand an investigation into the link between swine flu and giant pig farms. Another example is creating a three-mile human chain handshake from the Dalai Lama to the doors of the Chinese Embassy in London to request dialogue between the parties.
Doctors Without Borders
Established in: 1971Global presence: 70+ countries
Based in France (where it's known as Médecins Sans Frontières), Doctors Without Borders is a medical NGO working in conflict zones, areas affected by natural disasters, and areas with endemic diseases. Their focuses include antibiotic resistance, maternal health, HIV/AIDS, malnutrition, vaccinations, mental health, and more. They use 14% of their income on fundraising, 85% on programs, and 1% on management and general admin.
In 2021, the NGO performed over 12.5 million medical consultations; gave 1.6 million vaccinations; and saw over 1 million patients in MSF hospitals and clinics. After adjustments, MSF had a surplus of €169 million. MSF gets most of its funding from private income, which includes individuals and private foundations.
Greenpeace
Established in: 1969Global presence: Worldwide
Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by a group of environmental activists. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its diversity", and focuses its campaigning on worldwide issues such as climate change, deforestation, overfishing, commercial whaling, genetic engineering, anti-war, and anti-nuclear issues. It uses direct action, advocacy, research, and ecotage to achieve its goals. The network comprises 26 independent national/regional organisations in over 55 countries across Europe, the Americas, Africa, Asia, Australia and the Pacific, as well as a coordinating body, Greenpeace International, based in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Greenpeace is known for its nonviolent direct actions and has been described as one of the most visible environmental organizations in the world. It has raised environmental issues to public awareness and knowledge, and influenced both the private and the public sector. The organization has received criticism; it was the subject of an open letter from more than 100 Nobel laureates urging Greenpeace to end its campaign against genetically modified organisms (GMOs).
Humanist Institute for Development Cooperation
Established in: 1968Global presence: 6 countries
Hivos (Dutch: Humanistisch Instituut voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking, is an international cooperation organization, with its global office in The Hague, The Netherlands. Hivos provides support to civil society organizations working in Africa, Latin America, the Middle East and Asia. It is one of very few INGOs with a distinctly humanist ethos.
Hivos focuses its efforts on three primary impact areas of humanitarian projects worldwide: climate justice, safeguarding civic rights in the digital age, and promoting gender equality, diversity, and inclusion. The latter involves initiatives dedicated to advancing women's empowerment and upholding the rights of the LGBTQI+ community.
In the 1980s and 1990s, Hivos was one of the first major Dutch NGOs that opened offices in the Global South to operate in the close vicinity of its civil society partners, beneficiaries and other stakeholders there.
UNICEF
Established in: 1946Global presence: 6 countries
UNICEF, originally the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, officially United Nations Children's Fund since 1953, is an agency of the United Nations responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. The organization is one of the most widely known and visible social welfare entities globally, operating in 192 countries and territories. UNICEF's activities include providing immunizations and disease prevention, administering treatment for children and mothers with HIV, enhancing childhood and maternal nutrition, improving sanitation, promoting education, and providing emergency relief in response to disasters.
UNICEF is the successor of the United Nations International Children's Emergency Fund, and was created on 11 December 1946, in New York, by the U.N. Relief Rehabilitation Administration to provide immediate relief to children and mothers affected by World War II. The same year, the United Nations General Assembly established UNICEF to further institutionalize post-war relief work. In 1950, its mandate was extended to address the long-term needs of children and women, particularly in developing countries. In 1953, the organization became a permanent part of the United Nations System, and its name was changed to United Nations Children's Fund, though it retains the UNICEF acronym.
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
Established in 1950Global presence: 135 countries
The UNHCR is a United Nations agency mandated to aid and protect refugees, forcibly displaced communities, and stateless people, and to assist in their voluntary repatriation, local integration or resettlement to a third country. It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has 20,305 staff.
As of June 2020, UNHCR has over 20 million refugees under its mandate. Consequently, its annual budget has grown from US$300,000 in 1951 to US$8.6 billion in 2019, making it one of the largest UN agencies by expenditure. The vast majority of UNHCR's budget comes from voluntary contributions, mostly from member states; the largest donors are the United States, the European Union, and Germany. The agency's work includes providing protection, shelter, healthcare and emergency relief, assisting in resettlement and repatriation, and advocating for national and multilateral policies on behalf of refugees.
According to a 2021 study, the UNHCR has fulfilled its mandate to serve refugees independent of their location consistently over time. The organization has shown limited bias towards donors in the geographical distribution of its funds.
World Health Organization
Established in: 1948Global presence: 194 countries
The WHO is a specialized agency of the United Nations which coordinates responses to international public health issues and emergencies It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, and has six regional offices[3] and 150 field offices worldwide. Only sovereign states are eligible to join, and it is the largest intergovernmental health organization at the international level.
The WHO's purpose is to achieve the highest possible level of health for all the world's people, defining health as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. The main functions of the World Health Organization include promoting the control of epidemic and endemic diseases; providing and improving the teaching and training in public health, the medical treatment of disease, and related matters; and promoting the establishment of international standards for biological products.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency
Established in: 1949Global presence: 8 countries
UNRWA employs over 30,000 people, most of them Palestinian refugees, and a small number of international staff Originally intended to provide employment and direct relief, its mandate has broadened to include providing education, health care, and social services to its target population. UNRWA operates in five areas: Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem; aid for Palestinian refugees outside these five areas is provided by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), established in 1950 as the main agency to aid all other refugees worldwide. UNRWA is the only UN agency dedicated to helping refugees from a specific region or conflict.
Oxford Committee for
Famine Relief
Established in: 1942Global presence: 90+ countries
Oxfam is an anti-poverty organization that focuses on water and sanitation, gender justice, conflicts and disasters, and much more. Since 2015, the NGO has reached over 3 million people in Yemen with services like clean water, sanitation, hygiene, and cash for food. In Syria, where millions have been forcibly displaced since 2011, Oxfam works in eight of the 14 governorates focusing on clean water, hygiene kits, farmers, and more. Oxfam also has charity shops around the world (most are in the UK) that sell donated and fair-trade items.
According to the 2020-2021 annual report, Oxfam reached over 14 million people with their COVID-19 response; worked with 1.7 million people on gender justice; and made USD 912 million in total income.
CORDAID
Established in: 2000Global presence: Worldwide
Cordaid was founded in The Hague. Its mission is to address structural poverty, provide medical aid, aid to the most disadvantaged, as well as emergency and refugee relief. Its foundation consisted of a merger of three Dutch Catholic development organizations: Memisa Medicus Mundi (created in 1925), Mensen in Nood (People in Need, created in 1914) and Lenten Campaign/Bilance.
The history of these organizations goes back to the beginning of the 20th century, providing relief to World War I refugees in the Netherlands and doing medical missionary work abroad. For decades these organizations provided health care, famine relief, shelter, and other forms of assistance in dozens of countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and Europe.
In 2015, when forced migration, displacement, and conflict had become key drivers of global dynamics, Cordaid shifted its focus to conflict-affected and volatile countries and to addressing causes of fragility.
In January 2021, the Protestant organization ICCO joined forces with Cordaid, realizing the largest merger in the Dutch development sector to this day.
With ICCO, Cordaid expanded its scope and its fields of expertise, including climate resilient food systems and food security.
Danish Refugee Council
Established in: 1956Global presence: 40+ countries
The Danish Refugee Council was formed after WWII in response to the Soviet invasion of Hungary. Today, it's the largest NGO in Denmark. It works in every stage of displacement, provides humanitarian aid and protection, and works with civil society and authorities to promote refugee rights. The Danish Refugee Council is an umbrella nonprofit with 33 member organizations, so it has a presence in over 40 countries including countries in Europe, Asia, and West and North Africa.
In 2021, the NGO's Executive Committee approved the new global DRC Strategy 2025, which lays out the organization's strategy for the next few years. As forced displacement increases, the DRC has its work cut out for it. In 2021, the DRC achieved a DKK 25 million profit.
Save the Children
Established in: 1919Global presence: 120 countries
Based in London, this international NGO works to improve the lives of children through healthcare, education, emergency aid, economic development, and more. As a global movement, the NGO has 30 national member organizations around the world. Areas of focus include hunger, health, education, policy and advocacy, the climate crisis, and the war in Ukraine.
Bangladesh Rural Advancement Committee
Established in: 1972Global presence: 11 countries
BRAC is an international development NGO based in Bangladesh. Because of how many employees it has, it's the largest NGO in the world. It works in every district in Bangladesh as well as in countries like Kenya, Liberia, Afghanistan, and Myanmar. It focuses on social development like microfinance, disaster risk management, education, gender justice, and water and sanitation. BRAC also has several social enterprises, which are self-sustaining, cause-driven businesses. These help the NGO fund itself.
According to its 2021 annual report, almost 2 in 5 people in Bangladesh received support from BRAC. 11.5 million accessed financial services and awareness; USD 4.5 billion in loans were disbursed; and 190,000 kids got access to education. The NGO also had over 4 billion Taka in total assets.
Voluntary Service Overseas
Established in: 1958Global presence: 35
VSO is a not-for-profit international development organization charity with a vision for "a fair world for everyone and a mission to create lasting change through volunteering". VSO delivers development impact through a blended volunteer model consisting of international, national, and community volunteers working together to develop the systems and conditions for positive social change.[2] In 2022–23, VSO worked in 35 countries in Africa and Asia.
VSO currently works in the following core programme areas:
Inclusive Education
Health
Livelihoods
And through three core approaches that are relevant to all the areas:
Social Inclusion and Gender
Social Accountability
Resilience
In addition, VSO has a youth focus in which young people are both the beneficiaries of social change outcomes as well as the primary actors in creating the change.
Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere
Established in: 1945Global presence: 100+ countries
CARE International is an anti-poverty NGO that focuses on areas like gender equality, the right to health, climate justice, the right to food and clean water, and so on. Girls and women are a top priority. They use the Sustainable Development Goals as a guide for tracking progress.
In 2022, CARE reached 174 million people directly in 111 countries. From 2015-2021, CARE helped 4.4 million kids access better quality or more inclusive education. 73.9 million people received humanitarian and basic services or experienced reduced poverty. In the fiscal year (July 2021-June 2022), CARE USA spent USD 658,572 on program activities and USD 56,703 on supporting activities.
Red Cross
Established in: 1863Global presence: 191 countries
The organized International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is a humanitarian movement with approximately 16 million volunteers, members, and staff worldwide. It was founded to protect human life and health, to ensure respect for all human beings, and to prevent and alleviate human suffering.
Despite formal independence regarding its organizational structure and work, each national society is still bound by the laws of its home country. In many countries, national Red Cross and Red Crescent societies enjoy exceptional privileges due to agreements with their governments or specific "Red Cross Laws" granting full independence as required by the International Movement. The duties and responsibilities of a national society as defined by International Humanitarian Law and the statutes of the Movement include humanitarian aid in armed conflicts and emergency crises such as natural disasters through activities such as Restoring Family Links.
WAR CHILD
Established in: 1994Global presence: 15+ countries
War Child International is an independent non-government organization founded in 1993 by film-makers Bill Leeson, David Wilson, and peace activist Willemijn Verloop. The organization works with parents, caregivers, community members, NGOs, governments, corporations, and other partners worldwide to ensure that children have access to protection, education and psychosocial support. War Child's work is rooted in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
War Child has historically been supported and endorsed by numerous influential patrons. However, it lost support from Luciano Pavarotti, Brian Eno, and three other celebrity patrons, along with 11 trustees, after it was discovered that in 1995 co-founder Bill Leeson took a bribe from contractors building a music centre in Bosnia. In 2001 when the story broke, War Child said that any financial mismanagement in the charity occurred "years ago" and they are "dealing properly with these historical charges".The UK Charity watchdog, the Charity Commission for England and Wales stated that they had been involved with the trustees regarding the matter since 1998. Bill Leeson is now a director at GardenAfrica, a charity he co-founded in 2002.
Action Against Hunger
Established in: 1979Global presence: 50+ countries
Our Mission Statement
Action Against Hunger's mission is to save the lives of children and their families. We are there for them before and after disaster strikes. We enable people to provide for themselves, see their children grow up strong, and for whole communities to prosper. We constantly search for more effective solutions, while sharing our knowledge and expertise with the world. We push for long-term change.
A Charity You Can Trust
Action Against Hunger takes pride in our financial efficiency, our program effectiveness, and our organizational health, leadership, and stability.
We're efficient:
Action Against Hunger saves lives around the world, with minimal fundraising and administrative costs: $0.90 of every dollar donated goes directly to our field programs.
We're trusted and top-rated:
Action Against Hunger has earned top ratings from the most trusted, independent charity evaluators in the United States for our efficient operations and sound financial management.
Plan International
Established in: 1937Global presence: 80+ countries
We stand with girls so they can get the best possible education. From early learning to secondary education, we support every part of a girl's journey — not just one piece of it. We work alongside girls, their families, communities and governments to ensure they can have a quality education, stay safe and shape their own futures.
Because when girls lead, communities rise — and a future where we are all equal becomes possible.
Every child deserves to grow up safe — but for girls, that safety is often out of reach. Violence at home, in schools, online and in public spaces continues to limit girls' freedom, choices and futures. With millions of children displaced by conflict and crisis, the risks are growing. We work with girls, young people and communities to prevent harm and create safer environments.
Together, we challenge the root causes of inequality and build lasting solutions that help girls to live free from violence. Find out how we're supporting safer futures Three girls sit in circle on the grass, holding hands
Direct Relief
Established in: 1979Global presence: 50+ countries
The Mission
Direct Relief is a humanitarian aid organization, active in all 50 states and more than 80 countries, with a mission to improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergencies – without regard to politics, religion, or ability to pay.
Direct Relief's work earns wide recognition from independent charity rating agencies and watchdogs, including a 100% fundraising efficiency rating from Forbes, a place on Charity Navigator's list of the "10 Best Charities Everyone's Heard Of," and inclusion in Fast Company's list of "the world's most innovative nonprofits." >>> awards, ratings, and recognition
International Rescue Committee
Established in: 1933Global presence: 40+ countries
The International Rescue Committee, which was originally founded in response to people fleeing Nazi Germany, helps refugees affected by humanitarian crises like disasters and conflict. Areas of focus include safety, health, economic well-being, empowerment, and education. As women and girls are among the most vulnerable, the NGO pays special attention to their needs. The IRC works in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, the Middle East, and the United States.
In 2021, the NGO reached 31.5 million people, resettled people from 32 countries in the United States, and reached over 1 million people with malnutrition prevention services. Total revenue in 2021 was USD 979,512 while net assets were USD 245,790.