CARE as a disaster relief organization: Haiti Earthquake, 2010 (2011 Report)

Table of Contents

Where we looked

All of the below was examined in September 2010. We also looked for new information in early January 2011.

How much did the organization raise and how much did it spend?

Source Organization Dates Amount donated Amount Spent
Chronicle of Philanthropy1 CARE USA January 25, 2010 $10.3 million -
Chronicle of Philanthropy2 CARE USA February 2, 2010 $11.3 million -
Chronicle of Philanthropy3 CARE USA February 17, 2010 $12 million -
CARE newsletter4 CARE Worldwide March 31, 2010 $34.4 million $5.75 million cash; $2.3 million in-kind
Chronicle of Philanthropy5 CARE USA May 7, 2010 $17.75 million -
Chronicle of Philanthropy6 CARE USA / CARE Worldwide July 9, 2010 $18.2 / $36.5 million $9.6 million worldwide
CARE financial update7 CARE Worldwide October 31, 2010 $45 million $23.2 million

How specific is the organization about how it spent its funds?

CARE reports a break-down of funds spent on each of four general categories.8

CARE reports numbers of people reached with its activities and a number of other outputs.9

Non-disaster relief activities

  • CARE provides a searchable database of (as of this writing) over 900 projects.10 Information provided on each project is very general.11
  • CARE also provides overview pages with very general characterizations of the work CARE does in each country in which it works and links to all projects in that country.12 CARE provides similar information for each of CARE's primary program areas (education, HIV/AIDS, nutrition, water, etc.)13
  • We have found very little information on how CARE's expenses break down by region, program type or project. The only breakdown we have found, aside from reporting by standard accounting categories (as opposed to programs/projects), is in the annual report: 78% spent on "lasting solutions to poverty," and 22% spent on "emergency and rehabilitation."14

We find that CARE gives a substantially more detailed picture of its activities than many of the other organizations we've reviewed in the category of disaster relief. However, its funding breakdown is extremely general, even by the standards of these organizations (many of which provide only highly general funding breakdowns).

Sources

  • 1

    "CARE USA had raised $10.3-million as of Monday." Chronicle of Philanthropy, "A Roundup of Haiti Fund Raising as of January 29."

  • 2

    "CARE USA had raised $11.3-million as of Tuesday." Chronicle of Philanthropy, "Haiti Donations Exceed $644-Million, as of February 3."

  • 3

    "CARE USA had raised $12-million as of February 17." Chronicle of Philanthropy, "American Charities Raise $774-Million for Haiti Relief, Chronicle Tally Finds."

  • 4
    • "(Revenue ”©and ”©expenditures”© through”© March”© 31,”© most ”©recent”© available)
      Total”© revenue ”©from ”©fundraising ”©appeals: Worldwide:”© $34.4”© million. USA:”© $15.5 ”©million”© (included”© in”© above ”©total)." CARE USA, "CARE Haiti Newsletter - April 29 2010," Pg 3.
    • "Expenditures ”©for ”©initial ”©response – ”©cash”© only: ... Actual: ”©$5.75 ”©million." CARE USA, "CARE Haiti Newsletter - April 29 2010," Pg 3.
    • "Value”© of ”©contributions ”©in ”©kind ”©distributed (not ”©included”© in ”©spending ”©listed ”©above): Donated”© through”© CARE ”©USA: $1.0”© million”©. Negotiated”© locally ”©in ”©Haiti:$1.3”©million." CARE USA, "CARE Haiti Newsletter - April 29 2010," Pg 3.

  • 5

    "CARE USA had raised approximately $17.75-million as of May 7." Chronicle of Philanthropy, "$1.1-Billion Donated for Haiti Relief: Updated Tally (May 11)."

  • 6

    "CARE...Amount raised: $18,200,000; $36,500,000 worldwide. Amount spent: $9,600,000 worldwide." Chronicle of Philanthropy, "How Charities Are Helping Haiti: How Much They Raised and Spent."

  • 7

    "Total raised worldwide: $45 million...Total spent $23.2 million...
    *All figures through October and rounded to the nearest 100,000 in US $." CARE International, "Haiti Earthquake: CARE Finances (January-October 2010)."

  • 8

    CARE International, "Haiti earthquake: CARE finances (January-October 2010)."

  • 9

    From CARE International, "Haiti: CARE Earthquake Relief and Recovery (January-November 2010)":


  • 10

    CARE USA, "Search CARE's Work."

  • 11

    Example: "This watershed management project aims to create sustainable and replicable models of strengthening municipal governance that is responsive to the needs of their citizens and fulfill their mandate of integrated management, restoration and economic development in a participatory manner. The project will support municipalities and communities development capacity, systems and resources to take the ownership of their own development agenda. Revitalizing municipalities in this manner will lead to the project goal of improved quality of life and economic well being of men, women, boys and girls in the 13 municipalities of the semi- and high lands of Nicaragua.

    To achieve the main goal, the project will strengthen the capacity of municipalities and communities to: plan, manage and restore their watersheds; manage funds and resources in an efficient and transparent manner; provide effective services to communities to manage water supply and sanitation systems; protect and restore environmentally sensitive areas; and access natural resources in a sustainable manner that enhances economic well being of all residents in a gender sensitive manner." CARE USA, "PIMCHAS - Integrated Project for Watershed Management."

  • 12

    See CARE USA, "CARE's Work" for links to all countries. See CARE USA, "Nicaragua Country Profile" for an example.

  • 13

    See CARE USA, "What Do We Do?" for links to all program areas. See CARE USA, "What we do: Education" for an example.

  • 14

    CARE USA, "Signs of Change" (2009 annual report).