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CHARITY REVIEW
Issued: November 2023 Expires: November 2025

Catholic Relief Services

Accredited Charity
Accredited Charity

Meets Standards
Accreditation seal
(877) 435-7277
228 West Lexington Street
Baltimore, MD, 21201-3443
https://www.crs.org
📄 Full Report 🖨️ Print 📋 BBB Charity Standards

Standards For Charity Accountability

Governance

  1. Board Oversight
  2. Board Size
  3. Board Meetings
  4. Board Compensation
  5. Conflict of Interest

Measuring Effectiveness

  1. Effectiveness Policy
  2. Effectiveness Report

Finances

  1. Program Expenses
  2. Fundraising Expenses
  3. Accumulating Funds
  4. Audit Report
  5. Detailed Expense Breakdown
  6. Accurate Expense Reporting
  7. Budget Plan

Fundraising & Info

  1. Truthful Materials
  2. Annual Report
  3. Website Disclosures
  4. Donor Privacy
  5. Cause Marketing Disclosures
  6. Complaints

Catholic Relief Services meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.

Stated Purpose:
"to carry out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas; to cherish, preserve and uphold the sacredness and dignity of all human life, foster charity and justice, and embody Catholic social and moral teaching as motivated by the Gospel of Jesus Christ."

Year, State Incorporated:
1943, DC

Catholic Relief Services (CRS) aims to promote human development by responding to emergencies, fighting disease and poverty, and nurturing peaceful and just societies. The organization also serves Catholics in the United States as they live their faith in solidarity with their brothers and sisters around the world. CRS's programs focus on agriculture, water and sanitation, education, emergency, microfinance, health, and peace and justice.

For the year ended September 30, 2022, Catholic Relief Services's program expenses were:

Emergency $698,132,000
Health and social services $339,392,000
Education $100,052,000
Agriculture $99,928,000
Partner capacity strengthening $38,565,000
Justice and peacebuilding $36,952,000
Water and enviornment $15,925,000
Small enterprise $2,627,000
Total Program Expenses $1,331,573,000

Chief Executive
Sean Callahan, President and Chief Executive Officer

Compensation*
$623,633

Chair of the Board
Most Rev. Frank J. Caggiano

Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
Bishop of Bridgeport

Board Size
25

Paid Staff Size
8143

*2021 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.

Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Grant proposals, Internet, Direct mail appeals, Membership appeals, Planned giving arrangements, Print advertisements (newspapers, magazines, etc.)

Catholic Relief Services incurred joint costs of $1,355,000 for informational materials and activities that included fundraising materials. Of those costs $786,000 was allocated to program expenses and $569,000 was allocated to fundraising expenses.

Fundraising costs were 2% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $1,457,602,000, are donations received as a result of fundraising activities.)

This organization is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. It is eligible to receive contributions deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes.

The following information is based on Catholic Relief Services's audited financial statements - consolidated for the year ended September 30, 2022.

Source of Funds
United States government grants and agreements $460,181,000
In-kind contributions $452,553,000
Private contributions $240,125,000
Other public grants and contributions $218,964,000
Foundation and other private revenue $57,357,000
Bequests $21,215,000
Catholic Relief Services Rice Bowl $7,207,000
Miscellaneous income $185,000
Realized and unrealized loss on investments and financial instruments $-32,973,000
Total Income $1,424,814,000

Programs: 94% Fundraising: 3% Administrative: 3%

Total Income $1,424,814,000
Total expenses: $1,422,923,000
  Program expenses $1,331,573,000
  Fundraising expenses $41,572,000
  Administrative expenses $49,778,000
  Other expenses $0
Income in Excess of Expenses $1,891,000
Beginning Net Assets $270,133,000
Other Changes In Net Assets $20,663,000
Ending Net Assets $292,687,000
Total Liabilities $537,855,000
Total Assets $830,542,000

Note 1: According to CRS's audited finanical statements for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2022, the organization received in-kind gifts totaling $452,553,000 in the form of agricultural commodities from USAID and USDA ($174,035,000), ocean freight ($121,569,000), bed nets ($88,368,000), agricultural commodities from UN and other donors ($38,264,000), pharmaceuticals ($22,277,000), and other items ($8,040,000).

Note 2: In the above financial section, "other changes in net assets" represents defined benefit paln adjustments ($15,180,000) and net changes in annuities, trusts and pooled income ($5,483,000).

An organization may change its practices at any time without notice. A copy of this report has been shared with the organization prior to publication. It is not intended to recommend or deprecate, and is furnished solely to assist you in exercising your own judgment. If the report is about a charity and states the charity meets or does not meet the Standards for Charity Accountability, it reflects the results of an evaluation of information and materials provided voluntarily by the charity. The name Better Business Bureau is a registered service mark of the International Association of Better Business Bureaus.

This report is not to be used for fundraising or promotional purposes.

RELATED CONTENT

Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance