Direct Relief
Improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergency situations.
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A humanitarian relief charity that works in the US and internationally to improve the health and lives of people affected by disasters and poverty.
Verified certifications
Confirmed against the issuing authority - not self-reported.
Mission
Improve the health and lives of people affected by poverty or emergency situations.
Focus areas & reach
· What they work on and whereHow it stacks up against peers
· vs. 8 similar international in United StatesRed flags
· All clearCommon questions
· Auto-generated from filings + methodologyDirect Relief is a registered international nonprofit based in Santa Barbara, CA, United States. It is registered with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). It was founded in 1948 and has been operating for 78 years. Its EIN is 951831116. It has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86/100 (Strong transparency), indicating well-documented governance, financials, and contact details. The organization reports $2.4B in annual revenue. 143 officers and directors are publicly disclosed. No red flags have been detected.
Direct Relief has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86/100. This score combines five components: Registration (20 pts), Financial Transparency (30 pts), Governance (20 pts), Contact Availability (10 pts), and Data Recency (20 pts), with negative adjustments for any red flags. A score of 86 ('Strong transparency') reflects well-documented governance, recent financials, named leadership, and working contact details. For comparison, the average integrity assessment for international charities in United States is 91/100.
Direct Relief is located in Santa Barbara, CA, United States. The organization was established in 1948 and has been active for 78 years.
Based on official tax filings, Direct Relief has $2.4B in annual revenue. Its revenue is significantly above the peer average of $5M. Create a free GiveRadar account to view the complete financial breakdown with year-over-year trends.
Direct Relief is classified as a International organization, registered in United States. It operates as a Supporting organization (509(a)(3)). By size, it is categorized as a major organization. It has $2.4B in annual revenue. The organization has 143 disclosed officers and directors.
No red flags have been detected for Direct Relief. GiveRadar automatically screens charities for concerning patterns including high executive compensation, low program spending, and missing financial filings. Based on available official data, no issues have been identified.
Direct Relief has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86/100 (Strong transparency) and no red flags have been detected, which suggests it is a well-documented organization. It is regulated by the IRS. You can donate directly through their official donation page linked on their GiveRadar profile. GiveRadar provides data for research purposes and does not endorse any organization. Always do your own due diligence.
A humanitarian relief charity that works in the US and internationally to improve the health and lives of people affected by disasters and poverty. Direct Relief is classified as a international organization registered in United States. The organization was founded in 1948.
Among international charities registered in United States: Direct Relief's GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86/100 is in line with the peer average of 91/100. Its annual revenue of $2.4B is well above the peer average of $5M.
Yes, donations to Direct Relief are generally tax-deductible in the United States. Its EIN is 951831116, which you can use for tax filing purposes. Donors can typically deduct contributions on their federal income tax return if they itemize deductions. Consult a tax professional for guidance specific to your situation.
Verified against 8 official sources, last refreshed .
Filing history
10 years on file from IRS 990 (FY2025): revenue, expenses, program spending, assets, and liabilities by fiscal year.
See 5 years of revenue, expense breakdowns, and balance sheet.
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Tax-deductibility for donors
Donations may be tax-deductible for residents of United States under local rules. Confirm with the charity directly.
DIRECT RELIEF is registered in United States. Donations from the Netherlands to charities outside the EU/EEA are generally not tax-deductible for Dutch donors unless the charity is listed on the Dutch ANBI register with foreign-recognized status.
Always confirm tax treatment with the charity directly or your tax advisor before donating.
Leadership
Officers & trustees (25)
Source: Public filings
Latest news
From global news sources
10 articles found
From global news sources
Sentiment
NeutralMedical Aid Supports Patient Care at Critical Hospital in the Gambia - Angels in Medicine
Hawaiʻi Flooding: Medical Aid Reaches Oʻahu’s North Shore Communities - Direct Relief
Direct Relief Dispatches Emergency Medical Aid Amid Devastating Hawai’i Flooding - Direct Relief
Across Tanzania, Medical Refrigerators Preserve Life and Health for Kids with Diabetes - Direct Relief
Medical Aid Departs for 20 Countries as Storm Response Continues in Hawai‘i, Midwest - Direct Relief
Preparedness in Action: Lessons from Search & Rescue - Direct Relief
Requested Aid Departs for Hawai’i, Mainland U.S. Experiencing Power Outages, Severe Storms - Direct Relief
Emergency Medicines and Chronic Disease Treatments Depart for Ukraine - Direct Relief
As Severe Kona Storm Threatens Flash Floods, Widespread Closures Across Hawai’i, Direct Relief Ready to Respond - Direct Relief
What Video Games Can Teach Us About Humanitarian Decision-Making - Direct Relief
Activity timeline
Filings and press mentions, merged
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Other international in United States, by integrity assessment
Sources and verification
Refreshed
- Registration and legal identity
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search
- Financial filings
- IRS Form 990 filings - Fiscal year 2025 most recent on file.
- Officers and trustees
- Internal Revenue Service (IRS) - Tax Exempt Organization Search - 143 disclosed in the public registry.
- News and media coverage
- GDELT Project + Google News
- Supplementary verification
- ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer
- Supplementary verification
- Wikidata structured data
- Supplementary verification
- GlobalGiving partner directory
- Supplementary verification
- Charity Navigator
Data freshness
What we don't know
Honest gaps - our score reflects transparency, not impact
Methodology
GiveRadar combines public registry filings, ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Charity Navigator, GuideStar, and news archives into a single 0-100 integrity assessment. We don't take a cut of any donation, ever.
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Quick facts about Direct Relief
- What is Direct Relief?
- Direct Relief is a international supporting organization (509(a)(3)) based in Santa Barbara, United States. A humanitarian relief charity that works in the US and internationally to improve the health and lives of people affected by disasters and poverty.
- When was Direct Relief founded?
- Direct Relief was founded in 1948.
- Who leads Direct Relief?
- Jonathan Steiner serves as VP Of Finance/CFO.
- Where is Direct Relief located?
- Headquartered in Santa Barbara, United States. The charity operates in 111 countries.
- What is Direct Relief's annual budget?
- Annual revenue for fiscal year 2025 is approximately $1B+. 0% of expenses go to program services.
- Is Direct Relief trustworthy?
- Direct Relief has a GiveRadar Integrity Assessment of 86 out of 100 (Strong transparency). The score reflects public-data transparency: registration, financial disclosure, governance, contact details, and how recently data was refreshed. It does not measure program impact.
- What is Direct Relief's registration number?
- IRS EIN: 951831116. Registration: 95-1831116 (United States).
- What is Direct Relief's website?
- http://www.directrelief.org