Reference list

Top 100 NGOs in the world

The global field, from BRAC and Médecins Sans Frontières through the humanitarian, health, rights and conservation majors — with headquarters, founding year, focus and reach drawn from each organisation's own reporting.

#▾	Organisation▾	Founded▾	Headquarters▾	Focus▾	Reach	Known for
1	BRACbrac.net	1972	Dhaka, Bangladesh	Poverty Alleviation	16 countries, ~100M people	World's largest NGO; its Graduation approach has lifted millions out of ultra-poverty.
2	Open Society Foundationsopensocietyfoundations.org	1979	New York, USA	Peace & Governance	120+ countries, ~$1.5B granted a year	Largest private funder of independent civil society, justice and rights groups worldwide.
3	Medecins Sans Frontieresmsf.org	1971	Geneva, Switzerland	Humanitarian Relief	70+ countries, ~17M consultations a year	Nobel Peace Prize 1999 for independent emergency medical aid in war zones.
4	Danish Refugee Councildrc.ngo	1956	Copenhagen, Denmark	Humanitarian Relief	40 countries, ~7.5M people	Europe's largest refugee-focused NGO, combining protection, shelter and mine action.
5	JA Worldwidejaworldwide.org	1919	Boston, USA	Education	100+ countries, 15M+ young people a year	World's largest youth entrepreneurship and financial-literacy network.
6	Mercy Corpsmercycorps.org	1979	Portland, USA	Humanitarian Relief	40+ countries, ~40M people	Blends emergency response with market-based recovery in fragile and conflict states.
7	Ashokaashoka.org	1980	Arlington, USA	Development	90+ countries, 4,000+ fellows	Created the field of social entrepreneurship by electing and backing Ashoka Fellows.
8	Acumenacumen.org	2001	New York, USA	Poverty Alleviation	30+ countries, 500M+ lives touched	Pioneered 'patient capital' impact investing in companies serving low-income customers.
9	Cure Violence Globalcvg.org	1995	Chicago, USA	Peace & Governance	50+ cities across 15+ countries	Treats violence as an epidemic; evaluations show shooting reductions of up to 70%.
10	Landesalandesa.org	1981	Seattle, USA	Human Rights	60+ countries, 700M+ people	Has secured legal land rights for hundreds of millions of rural poor, especially women.
11	Save the Childrensavethechildren.net	1919	London, UK	Child Welfare	110+ countries, 100M+ children	Drafted the first Declaration of the Rights of the Child, forerunner of the UN CRC.
12	International Committee of the Red Crossicrc.org	1863	Geneva, Switzerland	Humanitarian Relief	90+ countries, tens of millions of people	Guardian of the Geneva Conventions and a three-time Nobel Peace Prize laureate.
13	Oxfam Internationaloxfam.org	1942	Nairobi, Kenya	Poverty Alleviation	70+ countries, ~12M people a year	Its inequality research reshaped the global debate on wealth concentration.
14	World Vision Internationalwvi.org	1950	London, UK	Child Welfare	100 countries, 200M+ people	Largest child-sponsorship NGO and a leading provider of clean water in the Global South.
15	CARE Internationalcare-international.org	1945	Geneva, Switzerland	Poverty Alleviation	100+ countries, ~58M people	Invented the CARE Package and pioneered village savings and loan associations.
16	International Rescue Committeerescue.org	1933	New York, USA	Humanitarian Relief	40+ countries, 30M+ people	Founded at Einstein's urging; leader in refugee resettlement and evidence-based aid.
17	Partners In Healthpih.org	1987	Boston, USA	Health	11 countries, millions treated	Proved community-based treatment of drug-resistant TB and HIV works in poor settings.
18	Norwegian Refugee Councilnrc.no	1946	Oslo, Norway	Humanitarian Relief	40 countries, ~10M people	Runs the NORCAP standby roster and the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre.
19	Amnesty Internationalamnesty.org	1961	London, UK	Human Rights	150+ countries, 10M members and supporters	Nobel Peace Prize 1977; its campaigns have freed thousands of prisoners of conscience.
20	Human Rights Watchhrw.org	1978	New York, USA	Human Rights	100 countries, 500+ researchers and staff	Its investigations helped drive the treaties banning landmines and cluster munitions.
21	Catholic Relief Servicescrs.org	1943	Baltimore, USA	Humanitarian Relief	100+ countries, ~200M people	Official overseas relief agency of the US Catholic Church and a top global food-aid implementer.
22	Caritas Internationaliscaritas.org	1951	Vatican City	Humanitarian Relief	200 countries and territories, 162 members	Confederation of national Catholic aid agencies forming one of the largest relief networks on earth.
23	Plan Internationalplan-international.org	1937	Woking, UK	Child Welfare	80 countries, 14M+ girls	Its Because I am a Girl campaign helped establish the UN International Day of the Girl.
24	SOS Children's Villagessos-childrensvillages.org	1949	Innsbruck, Austria	Child Welfare	130+ countries, 1M+ people	Pioneered family-style care for children who have lost parental support.
25	Humanity & Inclusion (Handicap International)hi.org	1982	Lyon, France	Health	60 countries, 2M+ people	Co-founder of the campaign that won the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize and the landmine ban treaty.
26	Wikimedia Foundationwikimedia.org	2003	San Francisco, USA	Education	300+ languages, ~1.5B devices a month	Hosts Wikipedia, the largest free knowledge resource ever assembled.
27	The Carter Centercartercenter.org	1982	Atlanta, USA	Health	80+ countries	Has driven Guinea worm disease from 3.5M cases a year to a literal handful.
28	Gavi, the Vaccine Alliancegavi.org	2000	Geneva, Switzerland	Health	78 countries, 1.1B children immunised	Vaccination programmes credited with averting more than 18 million future deaths.
29	PATHpath.org	1977	Seattle, USA	Health	70+ countries	Developed MenAfriVac, which all but eliminated meningitis A epidemics across Africa.
30	Wellcome Trustwellcome.org	1936	London, UK	Health	Global, endowment above GBP 35B	One of the world's largest research charities; co-founded CEPI for epidemic vaccines.
31	Direct Reliefdirectrelief.org	1948	Santa Barbara, USA	Disaster Response	80+ countries, ~$2B of aid a year	Runs the largest privately funded medical-supply programme in the United States.
32	Habitat for Humanity Internationalhabitat.org	1976	Atlanta, USA	Poverty Alleviation	70 countries, 62M+ people	Has built or improved homes for tens of millions using volunteer 'sweat equity'.
33	Action Against Hungeractionagainsthunger.org	1979	Paris, France	Food Security	55 countries, ~28M people	Global leader in treating severe acute malnutrition with ready-to-use therapeutic food.
34	APOPOapopo.org	1997	Morogoro, Tanzania	Humanitarian Relief	10+ countries, 170,000+ mines and UXO found	Trains giant African pouched 'HeroRATs' to detect landmines and tuberculosis.
35	Concern Worldwideconcern.net	1968	Dublin, Ireland	Humanitarian Relief	25 countries, 30M+ people	Co-publishes the Global Hunger Index and pioneered graduation programming in Africa.
36	Islamic Relief Worldwideislamic-relief.org	1984	Birmingham, UK	Humanitarian Relief	40+ countries, 10M+ people	Largest Western-based Muslim relief NGO and a major seasonal food-aid provider.
37	ActionAid Internationalactionaid.org	1972	Johannesburg, South Africa	Human Rights	45 countries, ~4.7M people	Rights-based development led by women's movements in the countries where it works.
38	Terre des Hommesterredeshommes.org	1960	Lausanne, Switzerland	Child Welfare	60+ countries, 3M+ children	Leading voice against child trafficking, child labour and online child exploitation.
39	Medecins du Monde (Doctors of the World)medecinsdumonde.org	1980	Paris, France	Health	70+ countries	Combines frontline clinics with outspoken advocacy for universal access to health care.
40	International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societiesifrc.org	1919	Geneva, Switzerland	Disaster Response	191 national societies, ~15M volunteers	World's largest humanitarian network for disaster preparedness and response.
41	Heifer Internationalheifer.org	1944	Little Rock, USA	Food Security	20+ countries, 52M+ families	Its 'passing on the gift' livestock model has reached millions of smallholder families.
42	Greenpeace Internationalgreenpeace.org	1971	Amsterdam, Netherlands	Environment	55 countries, ~3M supporters	Campaigns helped win the global commercial whaling ban and the Antarctic mining ban.
43	WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature)panda.org	1961	Gland, Switzerland	Conservation	100 countries, ~5M supporters	World's largest conservation NGO, behind protected areas on every inhabited continent.
44	The Nature Conservancynature.org	1951	Arlington, USA	Conservation	80+ countries, 125M+ acres protected	Has protected more than 125 million acres of land and thousands of river miles.
45	Conservation Internationalconservation.org	1987	Arlington, USA	Conservation	70+ countries, 6M+ sq km safeguarded	Helped safeguard over six million square kilometres of land and ocean.
46	Rainforest Alliancerainforest-alliance.org	1987	Amsterdam, Netherlands	Conservation	70+ countries, ~2M farmers	Its green frog seal certifies sustainable farms across millions of hectares.
47	Wildlife Conservation Societywcs.org	1895	New York, USA	Conservation	60 countries, ~5M sq km of wild places	Manages vast protected landscapes plus New York's five wildlife parks.
48	Fauna & Florafauna-flora.org	1903	Cambridge, UK	Conservation	40+ countries	World's oldest international conservation NGO; helped save the mountain gorilla.
49	BirdLife Internationalbirdlife.org	1922	Cambridge, UK	Conservation	120 national partners	Identifies and protects the world's Important Bird and Biodiversity Areas.
50	Sea Shepherd Conservation Societyseashepherd.org	1977	Amsterdam, Netherlands	Conservation	20+ countries	Direct-action campaigns curtailed Antarctic whaling and illegal Southern Ocean fishing.
51	350.org350.org	2008	New York, USA	Environment	180+ countries	Built the global fossil-fuel divestment movement now covering trillions in assets.
52	Ceresceres.org	1989	Boston, USA	Environment	Investor network with ~$44T under management	Mobilises investors and companies on climate risk through the Ceres Investor Network.
53	World Resources Institutewri.org	1982	Washington DC, USA	Environment	60+ countries	Global Forest Watch delivers near real-time satellite monitoring of deforestation.
54	Environmental Defense Fundedf.org	1967	New York, USA	Environment	Global, ~3M members	Won the US ban on DDT and launched MethaneSAT to track methane leaks from orbit.
55	Friends of the Earth Internationalfoei.org	1969	Amsterdam, Netherlands	Environment	70+ countries, ~2M members	Grassroots federation behind landmark climate-justice litigation against oil majors.
56	ClientEarthclientearth.org	2007	London, UK	Environment	50+ countries	Uses the courts to enforce environmental law, winning landmark air-quality rulings.
57	WaterAidwateraid.org	1981	London, UK	Water & Sanitation	22 countries, 28M+ people	Has reached tens of millions with clean water, toilets and hygiene since 1981.
58	charity: watercharitywater.org	2006	New York, USA	Water & Sanitation	29 countries, 20M+ people	Its 100% model sends every public donation to water projects; 100,000+ funded.
59	Water.orgwater.org	2009	Kansas City, USA	Water & Sanitation	11 countries, 78M+ people	WaterCredit microloans have unlocked billions in household water and sanitation finance.
60	Water For Peoplewaterforpeople.org	1991	Denver, USA	Water & Sanitation	9 countries, 5M+ people	'Everyone Forever' model aims for permanent district-wide water coverage.
61	iDEideglobal.org	1982	Denver, USA	Poverty Alleviation	10+ countries, 30M+ people	Market-based approach put treadle pumps and affordable sanitation within reach of poor farmers.
62	GiveDirectlygivedirectly.org	2009	New York, USA	Poverty Alleviation	12+ countries, 1.5M+ people	Delivered over $1B in direct cash transfers and runs the largest basic-income study ever.
63	Kivakiva.org	2005	San Francisco, USA	Microfinance	75+ countries, 5M+ borrowers	Crowdfunded more than $2 billion in microloans from millions of individual lenders.
64	Grameen Foundationgrameenfoundation.org	1997	Washington DC, USA	Microfinance	35+ countries	Scaled the Nobel-winning Grameen microfinance and digital-inclusion model beyond Bangladesh.
65	Accionaccion.org	1961	Cambridge, USA	Microfinance	40+ countries, 400M+ people reached	Helped build the modern microfinance industry and now backs inclusive fintech.
66	FINCA Internationalfinca.org	1984	Washington DC, USA	Microfinance	20 countries, ~2.6M clients	Invented the village banking methodology now used by lenders worldwide.
67	Opportunity Internationalopportunity.org	1971	Chicago, USA	Microfinance	30+ countries, 19M+ people	Pairs microloans with education finance for low-fee schools in poor communities.
68	Root Capitalrootcapital.org	1999	Cambridge, USA	Microfinance	30+ countries, 2M+ farm families	Lends to farmer cooperatives too big for microfinance and too small for commercial banks.
69	One Acre Fundoneacrefund.org	2006	Kakamega, Kenya	Food Security	9 countries, 5M+ farming families	Delivers seed, finance and training on credit to millions of African smallholders.
70	TechnoServetechnoserve.org	1968	Arlington, USA	Development	30 countries, 1M+ people a year	Builds competitive farms and small businesses to raise incomes in poor regions.
71	Endeavorendeavor.org	1997	New York, USA	Development	40+ markets, 2,500+ entrepreneurs	Pioneered high-impact entrepreneurship support across emerging markets.
72	Skoll Foundationskoll.org	1999	Palo Alto, USA	Development	100+ countries	Its Skoll Awards and World Forum made Oxford the hub of global social entrepreneurship.
73	Echoing Greenechoinggreen.org	1987	New York, USA	Development	90+ countries, 1,000+ fellows	Seed-funded the founders of Teach For America, City Year and One Acre Fund.
74	Teach For Allteachforall.org	2007	New York, USA	Education	60+ countries	Global network of national teaching-fellowship organisations tackling education inequity.
75	Room to Readroomtoread.org	2000	San Francisco, USA	Education	23 countries, 45M+ children	Published thousands of local-language children's books and built literacy programmes at scale.
76	Prathampratham.org	1995	Mumbai, India	Education	India plus 10 countries, 75M+ children	Its Teaching at the Right Level method is now replicated across Africa and Asia.
77	Barefoot College Internationalbarefootcollege.org	1972	Tilonia, India	Education	90+ countries, 2,500+ solar engineers trained	Trains rural grandmothers as solar engineers who electrify their own villages.
78	Akshaya Patra Foundationakshayapatra.org	2000	Bengaluru, India	Food Security	India, ~2.35M children daily	Runs the world's largest NGO-operated school midday meal programme.
79	Fundacion Escuela Nuevaescuelanueva.org	1987	Bogota, Colombia	Education	20+ countries, 5M+ children	Its child-centred rural school model is one of the most replicated education innovations.
80	Camfedcamfed.org	1993	Cambridge, UK	Education	5 countries, 7M+ children	Girls' education model in rural Africa run by an alumnae network of 300,000 women.
81	Khan Academykhanacademy.org	2008	Mountain View, USA	Education	190 countries, 160M+ registered learners	Free world-class lessons in 50+ languages used by millions of students every month.
82	Amref Health Africaamref.org	1957	Nairobi, Kenya	Health	35+ countries	Largest Africa-based health NGO; has trained hundreds of thousands of health workers.
83	Clinton Health Access Initiativeclintonhealthaccess.org	2002	Boston, USA	Health	35+ countries	Negotiated price cuts that made HIV, malaria and TB medicines affordable at scale.
84	Population Services Internationalpsi.org	1970	Washington DC, USA	Health	40+ countries	Social marketing of contraceptives, bednets and water treatment at national scale.
85	MSI Reproductive Choicesmsichoices.org	1976	London, UK	Health	36 countries, 30M+ clients a year	One of the largest providers of contraception and safe abortion care worldwide.
86	International Planned Parenthood Federationippf.org	1952	Nairobi, Kenya	Health	150 countries	Federation of member associations delivering sexual and reproductive health services globally.
87	Sightsaverssightsavers.org	1950	Haywards Heath, UK	Health	30+ countries, 1.5B+ treatments distributed	Supported over a billion treatments against blinding neglected tropical diseases.
88	The Fred Hollows Foundationhollows.org	1992	Sydney, Australia	Health	25+ countries, 150M+ people	Restored sight to millions through low-cost cataract surgery and lens manufacturing.
89	Helen Keller Intlhki.org	1915	New York, USA	Health	20+ countries	Vitamin A supplementation programmes prevent childhood blindness and death at massive scale.
90	Orbis Internationalorbis.org	1982	New York, USA	Health	Global, 200+ programme countries since 1982	Operates the world's only Flying Eye Hospital, training eye-care teams in dozens of countries.
91	Operation Smileoperationsmile.org	1982	Virginia Beach, USA	Health	30+ countries, 350,000+ surgeries	Free cleft lip and palate surgery delivered by volunteer medical teams.
92	Mercy Shipsmercyships.org	1978	Garden Valley, USA	Health	Africa focus, 2.8M+ services delivered	Runs the largest civilian hospital ships, providing free surgery in port cities.
93	International Medical Corpsinternationalmedicalcorps.org	1984	Los Angeles, USA	Humanitarian Relief	30+ countries	Trains local health workers so emergency care outlasts the emergency response.
94	The Rotary Foundationrotary.org	1917	Evanston, USA	Health	200+ countries, 1.2M Rotary members	Core partner in polio eradication, cutting wild cases by more than 99.9% since 1988.
95	The Hunger Projectthp.org	1977	New York, USA	Food Security	12+ countries, 12M+ people	Community-led 'epicentre' strategy mobilises villages to end their own hunger.
96	Transparency Internationaltransparency.org	1993	Berlin, Germany	Peace & Governance	100+ national chapters	Its Corruption Perceptions Index made corruption a mainstream global policy issue.
97	Reporters Without Bordersrsf.org	1985	Paris, France	Human Rights	130+ countries	Publishes the World Press Freedom Index and defends imprisoned journalists.
98	International Crisis Groupcrisisgroup.org	1995	Brussels, Belgium	Peace & Governance	70+ conflict situations tracked	Field-based conflict analysis relied on by governments, the UN and the EU.
99	Search for Common Groundsfcg.org	1982	Washington DC, USA	Peace & Governance	30+ countries	World's largest dedicated peacebuilding NGO, using media and dialogue to defuse conflict.
100	Fairtrade Internationalfairtrade.net	1997	Bonn, Germany	Development	70+ countries, ~2M farmers and workers	The Fairtrade Mark guarantees minimum prices and premiums for nearly two million producers.

Ranks 1–10 follow the current published World 200 SGOs ranking (thedotgood, formerly NGO Advisor); ranks beyond that are paywalled at source, so positions 11–100 are an editorial ordering blending scale, prominence and historic ranking position. Reach and founding data come from each organisation's own reporting and are rounded.