Where does your money go?

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

ICRC_A consignment of vital intensive care equipment and supplies was delivered to Gaza’s hospitals by the ICRC_Photo: Mahmoud Mashharawi

Our promise to you

At the ICRC, we believe in the power of collective action to make positive change in the lives of those enduring the horrors of war. By donating to the ICRC, you can directly contribute to providing vital assistance, protection and support to individuals and communities affected by armed conflict.

Our accountability to the people we help

Since our foundation, we have put people at the centre of our humanitarian work. We aim to ensure that while protecting and preserving the rights of people affected by conflict, our humanitarian actions increase their resilience to face situations of vulnerability and crisis and lead to the best possible outcomes and results for them.

Evaluating our impact

When programmes are designed and implemented, our approach is to assess situations, identify needs and design and monitor responses, without ever losing our focus on affected people

The funding and spending of 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 in the past five years, they contributed about 82% of our budget. However, contributions are voluntary, which means there is no guarantee that they will continue in the long term

Our work in the field

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

Your efforts can help us deliver essential medical care, ensure access to clean water and sanitation, reunite separated families and provide critical humanitarian aid to those who need it most. Any amount raised brings us closer to healing wounds, restoring dignity and rebuilding shattered lives

An ICRC field officer and a Bangladesh Red Crescent Society member are assisting a refugee from Myanmar with physical disabilities.

Frequently asked questions

  • The ICRC is funded by voluntary contributions. We receive contributions from 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, since 2018 they have contributed about 82% of our budget. However, contributions are voluntary, which means there is no guarantee that they will continue in the long term.

  • In 2023, the ICRC is appealing for CHF 2.8 billion. During the year, adjustments to this appeal are made in the form of budget extensions in response to unforeseen needs requiring increased humanitarian action. 

    Needs are growing every year, and in 2023 there has been a 19% increase in the operating budget we are asking for so that we can continue to bring aid to people in the world's most challenging conflict hot spots. 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.

  • The ICRC budget is calculated based on three factors: the humanitarian needs of affected communities, 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 rate of implementation of our projected budget averaged around 90%.