CARE USA
Humanitarian aid and women's empowerment programs in 100+ countries
Our editorial assessment
CARE's distinctive contribution to the humanitarian sector is their decades-long focus on women's economic empowerment as a lever for systemic change. Research consistently shows that investing in women produces multiplier effects across communities — improved child nutrition, higher school enrollment, and stronger local economies. CARE's Village Savings and Loan Association model has been adopted by numerous other organisations and reaches millions of women across Africa and Asia. While CARE's programme spending ratio (88%) is solid but not exceptional among large humanitarian agencies, their strategic focus on gender equity as a driver of poverty reduction gives their work a distinctive theory of change.
The problem they're solving
Women and girls are disproportionately affected by poverty, conflict, and climate change. CARE's approach recognises that empowering women isn't just an equity issue — it's the most effective strategy for lifting entire communities out of poverty.
About CARE USA
CARE is one of the world's largest humanitarian organizations, reaching 90 million people annually.
Where your dollar goes
How this score was produced
The GiveWise score is our own editorial assessment, produced with a weighted rubric covering program spending, transparency and governance, evidence of impact, cost-effectiveness, and leadership. It draws on publicly available reports from independent evaluators such as GiveWell, Charity Navigator, and CharityWatch, but it is not a rating issued or endorsed by any of those organisations. Read the full methodology →