About Catholic Relief Services
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States and a member of Caritas Internationalis. Founded in 1943 by the U.S. Catholic Bishops to aid World War II survivors in Europe, CRS now works in more than 100 countries, reaching over 200 million people each year with emergency relief, health, agriculture, education, water, microfinance, peacebuilding, and partner capacity programs. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, the agency operates under Catholic social teaching, assists people based on need alone, and is governed by a board of directors comprised largely of bishops elected by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. CRS channels 93% of expenditures directly to programs, making it one of the largest faith-based relief and development organizations in the world.
Mission
Catholic Relief Services eases suffering and provides assistance to people in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion or nationality. Motivated by the example of Jesus Christ, CRS assists impoverished and disadvantaged people overseas, working in the spirit of Catholic social teaching to promote the sacredness of human life and the dignity of the human person; within the United States, it engages Catholics to live their faith in solidarity with the poor and suffering people of the world.
- Founded
- 1943
- Founder
- The Catholic Bishops of the United States (organized by the U.S. Bishops' War Emergency and Relief Committee; first executive director was Bishop Thomas A. Becker, followed by Msgr. Thomas J. McCarthy who expanded the agency's early refugee work)
- Leader
- Sean L. Callahan, President and CEO
- Reach
- More than 100 countries on five continents; reaches over 200 million people annually. In fiscal year 2024 (Oct 2023 – Sept 2024) CRS worked in 134 countries with 1,978 local partners and supported 198 million people, with more than 5,000 staff worldwide.
- Serves
- Impoverished and disadvantaged people overseas — regardless of race, religion or nationality — including refugees and displaced persons, women and children, smallholder farmers, people living with HIV/AIDS, youth, and communities affected by conflict and natural disaster. Within the United States, CRS engages U.S. Catholics and parishes in solidarity with the global poor.
History of Catholic Relief Services
CRS was founded in 1943 by the Catholic Bishops of the United States to serve World War II survivors in Europe — originally operating as War Relief Services. In its first decade the agency sent food, clothing and medicine, helped resettle displaced persons, and partnered with the Vatican and other Catholic agencies on refugee relief. As post-war emergencies shifted to developing countries in Asia, Africa and Latin America, CRS broadened its mandate from emergency relief to long-term development, taking its current name in 1955. Over subsequent decades the agency responded to the African famine crises, the Indochinese refugee exodus, the Central American wars, the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Syrian refugee crisis, recurring droughts in the Horn of Africa, and conflicts in South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Gaza, Lebanon, Ukraine and elsewhere. Today CRS works in more than 100 countries on five continents, reaching nearly 200 million people annually.
- 1943 — founded as War Relief Services by U.S. Catholic Bishops during WWII
- 1955 — renamed Catholic Relief Services
- Member of Caritas Internationalis since the confederation's formation
- Today works in 100+ countries with more than 5,000 staff
Mission, Catholic Identity and Guiding Principles
CRS' mission flows from Catholic social teaching and the example of Jesus Christ. The agency eases suffering, provides development assistance, and fosters charity and justice without regard to race, religion or nationality. CRS is a pro-life organization that upholds the sacredness and dignity of human life from conception to natural death and operates under principles derived from Catholic social teaching: subsidiarity, stewardship, human dignity, rights and responsibilities, the social nature of humanity, the common good, solidarity, and the option for the poor. The agency is committed to integral human development — an approach that protects human life and dignity, increases resilience, promotes just relationships, and expands equitable access to structures and systems at all levels.
- Official international humanitarian agency of U.S. Catholic community
- Governed by a board of directors dominated by bishops elected by the USCCB
- Operates on 8 Guiding Principles: Subsidiarity, Stewardship, Human Dignity, Rights & Responsibilities, Social Nature of Humanity, Common Good, Solidarity, Option for the Poor
- Promotes integral human development rooted in Catholic social teaching
Leadership and Governance
Sean L. Callahan has served as President and CEO of CRS since January 1, 2017. A 34-year agency veteran, he previously served as Executive Vice President for Overseas Operations (2004–2012) and Chief Operating Officer (2012–2016), and was CRS Regional Director for South Asia (1998–2004), where he worked with Saint Teresa of Calcutta and the Missionaries of Charity and led regional responses to floods, droughts, earthquakes, cyclones and man-made emergencies. Sean holds a master's in law and diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and a bachelor's magna cum laude in Spanish from Tufts. The senior leadership team also includes Dr. Shannon Senefeld (Executive Vice President, Global Programs), Annemarie Reilly (Executive Vice President, Global Operations), Schuyler Thorup (Executive Vice President, Global Resource Engagement and Mobilization) and other leaders. CRS is governed by a board of directors comprising clergy (mostly bishops elected by the USCCB), religious, and Catholic lay men and women.
- Sean L. Callahan — President & CEO (since January 2017)
- First Vice President of Caritas Internationalis (2015–2023)
- President of Caritas North America (2015–2023)
- Board of Directors comprised mostly of bishops elected by the USCCB
Where We Work
CRS supports hundreds of transformative projects in more than 100 countries on five continents. Overseas, programs are delivered through CRS regional offices in Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and Latin America and the Caribbean. In FY2024 the agency operated in 134 countries alongside 1,978 local partners. Country presences include major programs in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Vietnam, East Timor, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, South Sudan, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Burundi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, Gaza and the West Bank, Iraq, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, El Salvador, Colombia, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Ukraine and many others.
- Five regions: Africa, Asia, Europe, Middle East & North Africa, Latin America & the Caribbean
- 100+ countries; 134 countries served in FY2024
- 1,978 local partner organizations in FY2024
- Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, USA
Programs and Global Results
CRS organizes its work around five strategic goals: (1) Just and peaceful societies, (2) People survive and thrive in the face of disaster, (3) Healthy lives and dignified aging, (4) Children develop to their full potential, and (5) Youth thrive. Major program areas include emergency response, health and social services, agriculture and livelihoods, education, water/sanitation, microfinance, justice and peacebuilding, and partner capacity strengthening. In FY2024 these programs reached 138 million people in emergencies, 17 million in health, 13 million in agriculture, 11 million in education, 9 million in water/sanitation, 5 million in microfinance, 3 million in justice and peacebuilding, and 1.4 million in partner capacity strengthening.
- Emergency Response — 138M participants, 107 projects, 42 countries
- Health and Social Services — 17M participants, 217 projects, 68 countries
- Agriculture and Livelihoods — 13M participants, 53 projects, 41 countries
- Education — 11M participants, 93 projects, 48 countries
- Water, Sanitation and Hygiene — 9M participants, 96 projects, 39 countries
- Microfinance / Small Enterprise — 5M participants, 113 projects, 47 countries
- Justice, Peacebuilding and Youth — 3M participants, 85 projects, 45 countries
- Partner Capacity Strengthening — 1.4M participants, 219 projects, 64 countries
Faith-Based Engagement and CRS Rice Bowl
CRS Rice Bowl is the U.S. Catholic Church's signature Lenten almsgiving program, engaging parishes, schools and families in prayer, fasting and giving during Lent. Twenty-five percent of every donation stays in the donor's diocese to fight local hunger and poverty, while 75% supports CRS programming around the world. Families use the iconic cardboard Rice Bowl to collect alms throughout Lent and return them to their parish on Holy Thursday; parishes can also collect donations online through the Community Giving platform. CRS provides free parish materials — bulletin announcements, weekly Prayers of the Faithful, Stations of the Cross, prayer services, posters and flyers — and invites parishes to host a CRS Global Fellow (a priest or deacon who has witnessed CRS' overseas work) to deliver a homily. Mail donations to: Catholic Relief Services, CRS Rice Bowl, P.O. Box 5278, Tipton, IA 52772-0517.
- 25% of gifts stay in donor's diocese; 75% supports CRS global work
- Free Rice Bowl materials and liturgical resources for parishes and schools
- Online Community Giving platform via crsricebowl.org
- CRS Global Fellows program — priests and deacons available to preach
Blanket Plus and Parish Fundraising
CRS Blanket Plus allows U.S. parishes, schools and groups to provide tangible gifts — blankets, school kits and health kits — that fund CRS programs in emergencies and long-term development. The program educates communities about CRS' work while raising critical resources, and it is one of the most popular parish-based solidarity activities in the U.S. Catholic Church.
- Blanket Plus program provides blankets and kits
- School Kit and Health Kit programs for parish distribution
- Free materials ordered through crs.org
Advocacy, Accountability and Transparency
CRS holds itself to high standards of efficiency, accountability and transparency: 93% of expenditures go directly to programs. Public support accounts for the majority of revenue, with the remainder coming from private donors, foundations and other sources. CRS engages U.S. Catholics and policymakers in advocacy on global poverty, hunger, migration, climate and humanitarian access. The agency publishes annual reports, financial statements, Global Results indicators and the CRS Standards for accountability. As a faith-based NGO operating in complex environments, CRS does not proselytize and does not partner with organizations whose programs are inconsistent with Catholic teaching on the sanctity of life; an internal advisory council of moral theologians and the bishops on the board review partnerships for consistency with Catholic faith and morals.
- 93% of expenditures go directly to programs (FY2024)
- 76.29% of revenue from public sources in FY2024
- Published Annual Reports, Global Results indicators, audited financials
- Internal moral-theology advisory council reviews partnerships
Get Involved — Donate, Pray, Advocate, Work
CRS offers multiple ways to engage: (1) Donate online at crs.org or by phone at 877-435-7277; checks can be mailed to 228 W. Lexington St., Baltimore, MD 21201-3443. (2) Participate in CRS Rice Bowl during Lent. (3) Order free Blanket Plus, School Kit or Health Kit materials for parish or school fundraising. (4) Pray — CRS publishes daily reflections, Stations of the Cross and other spiritual resources. (5) Advocate with U.S. policymakers on global poverty and humanitarian issues. (6) Pursue a career with CRS — the agency employs more than 5,000 staff worldwide; job listings are available at careers.crs.org.
- Donate online, by phone (877-435-7277), or by mail
- CRS Rice Bowl Lenten program
- Parish Blanket Plus, School Kit and Health Kit fundraisers
- Advocacy and policy engagement
- Global careers at careers.crs.org
Contact and Legal Information
Catholic Relief Services — United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. World Headquarters: 228 West Lexington Street, Baltimore, Maryland 21201-3443. General phone: 877-435-7277 (877-HelpCRS), Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET, and Saturday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET. CRS Diocesan Representatives can be located via the 'Find Your CRS Diocesan Representative' tool on crs.org. Media inquiries: [email protected]. Legal name: Catholic Relief Services — United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Federal Tax ID: 13-5563422. CRS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization; donations are tax-deductible to the full extent allowable under the law.
- 228 W. Lexington Street, Baltimore, MD 21201-3443
- Phone: 877-435-7277 (877-HelpCRS)
- General email: [email protected]; Press: [email protected]
- Federal Tax ID: 13-5563422
- 501(c)(3) tax-deductible donations
