Church World Service
Meets Standards
Standards For Charity Accountability
Governance
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Board Oversight
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Board Size
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Board Meetings
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Board Compensation
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Conflict of Interest
Measuring Effectiveness
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Effectiveness Policy
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Effectiveness Report
Finances
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Program Expenses
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Fundraising Expenses
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Accumulating Funds
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Audit Report
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Detailed Expense Breakdown
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Accurate Expense Reporting
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Budget Plan
Fundraising & Info
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Truthful Materials
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Annual Report
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Website Disclosures
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Donor Privacy
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Cause Marketing Disclosures
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Complaints
Church World Service meets the 20 Standards for Charity Accountability.
Stated Purpose:
"to transform communities around the globe through just and sustainable responses to hunger, poverty, displacement, and disaster."
Year, State Incorporated:
2000, IN
Church World Service (CWS) reports that it provides shelter, food, medicine, and technical assistance to help people survive and recover. The organization states it is committed to building local capacity, strengthening civil society, and promoting human rights and the dignity of all people. CWS supports development projects from farming, well-digging, literacy, healthcare, job training, to micro-lending and micro-enterprises. The organization provides food, shelter, medical services, educational tools, and other resources to refugees and internally displaced persons in camps around the world. CWS, with a network of local affiliates and congregations, helps refugees resettle within the United States. Within the United States, the organization also assist communities responding to disasters, promotes fair trade, teaches HIV/AIDS prevention and provides treatment, shares educational resources, and nurtures ecumenical relations.
For the year ended June 30, 2025, Church World Service's program expenses were:
| Services for displaced people | $221,959,650 |
| Emergency response | $5,607,851 |
| Global relief and development | $5,599,068 |
| Advocacy | $2,717,230 |
| Total Program Expenses | $235,883,799 |
Chief Executive
Richard L. Santos, President and Chief Executive Officer
Compensation*
$417,005
Chair of the Board
Reverend Doctor David Levy-Vasquez
Chair's Profession / Business Affiliation
President, Pacific School of Religion
Board Size
17
Paid Staff Size
1000
*2023 compensation includes annual salary and, if applicable, benefit plans, expense accounts, and other allowances.
Method(s) Used:
Direct mail appeals, Telephone appeals, Invitations to fund raising events, Television, Grant proposals, Internet, Planned giving arrangements, Cryptocurrency
Fundraising costs were 19% of related contributions. (Related contributions, which totaled $29,412,405, 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 Church World Service's audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2025.
Source of Funds
| Government programs | $246,658,132 |
| Contributions | $21,784,521 |
| Member communions and related other organization contributions | $5,844,920 |
| Service fees | $2,719,298 |
| Investment return, net | $1,783,590 |
| In-kind contributions | $1,375,687 |
| Other income | $750,974 |
| Endowment contributions | $367,277 |
| Total Income | $281,284,399 |
Programs: 86% Fundraising: 2% Administrative: 12%
| Total Income | $281,284,399 |
| Total expenses: | $274,086,947 |
| Program expenses | $235,883,799 |
| Fundraising expenses | $5,534,595 |
| Administrative expenses | $32,668,553 |
| Other expenses | $0 |
| Income in Excess of Expenses | $7,197,452 |
| Beginning Net Assets | $34,677,679 |
| Other Changes In Net Assets | $-1,095 |
| Ending Net Assets | $41,874,036 |
| Total Liabilities | $34,557,974 |
| Total Assets | $76,432,010 |
Note 1: In the above financial section, "other changes in net assets" refers to other changes, net.
Note 2: According to the organization's audited financial statements for the year ended June 30, 2025, CWS received in-kind contributions totaling $1,375,687 in the form of donated materials.
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.
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Meets Standards
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Standards Not Met
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Did Not Disclose
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Review in Progress
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Unable to Verify
Report completed by:
BBB Wise Giving Alliance