How Much Red Cross Money Goes To Relief

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Where does your money go?

Where does your money go?

93.5% of donations are used directly for the ICRC's work in the field.

The ICRC's budget is financed entirely by voluntary contributions. Every donation is important to the ICRC, and we are grateful for each contribution we receive. Your generosity will help us alleviate the suffering of conflict victims worldwide and is a source of encouragement to the ICRC in Geneva and its delegates in the field.

This is one of thousands of journeys that we are able to undertake all around the world to reach people who need our help, thanks to your support.

90 francs

feeds a family fleeing conflict for two months.

150 francs

gives a community 80 jerrycans to store and transport clean water.

500 francs

provides temporary shelter to 40 families displaced by conflict.

Find the answers to frequently asked questions about donating to the ICRC, including where your money goes, earmarking, online donations, tax and privacy.

Who funds the ICRC?

The ICRC is funded by voluntary contributions.

We receive contributions from the States party to the Geneva Conventions (governments), national Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, supranational organizations (such as the European Commission) and public and private sources. Governments are our main donors: on average during the past five years, they contributed about 82% of the budget. But contributions remain voluntary and there is no guarantee that such contributions will last into the long-term.
What is the budget of the ICRC?

In 2020, the ICRC is appealing for just over 2.2 billion CHF. During the year, adjustments to this appeal are made in the form of budget extensions in response to unforeseen needs requiring increased humanitarian action.

The budget is growing every year, and 2020 sees an 2.7% increase in the operational budget so that we can continue to bring aid to people in the world's most challenging conflict hotspots. And yet, pressure on our resources also continues to grow, and we need more funds to help the increasing number of men, women and children around the world who find themselves caught in the crossfire of conflict.
How does the ICRC calculate how much money it needs?

The ICRC budget is calculated based on three factors: the humanitarian needs of the communities affected, our ability to deliver aid and protection to those communities, and a realistic assessment of what can actually be implemented.

Taken together these three factors have tended to produce highly accurate operational plans and budgets: during the last ten years, the ICRC has averaged around a 90% implementation rate of its projected budget. Our operational budget has been on the increase during the past few years. This year (2020), we have a budget that is almost 3% bigger than last year's.
Are you seeking to diversify your funding?
The ICRC seeks to secure funding from a broad range of sources in order to have a strong financial foundation and preserve its operational independence. In addition to sustaining support from its traditional donor base, it is working to strengthen its engagement with new and emerging donor States, development actors and key areas of the private sector, in line with its resource mobilization strategy for 2020–2030.