Partner with us

Support to the IFRC is not just support to one organization, but to the world’s largest humanitarian network—known and trusted in virtually every country in the world. Discover why you should support our lifesaving work and how you can get involved.

Why partner with the IFRC?

Our 191 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies are locally-led organizations that reach people others cannot. They deliver local humanitarian action that is principled, sustainable and brings positive change to the most vulnerable communities—no matter who or where they are.

Our more than 16 million volunteers are the first to arrive when disaster strikes. And they are the last to leave, remaining active within communities long after media crews and other organizations have left. Whether providing first aid and hot meals, or reuniting separated families, they do so selflessly and with the utmost compassion.

We are much more than first responders. Our volunteers and staff are experts and leaders in providing long-term services and development programmes—from climate change adaptation to community health projects—that help communities not only survive, but thrive.

Recognized the world over, our Red Cross and Red Crescent emblems are a trusted beacon of assistance for all. And we are a powerful advocate for humanity and for the most vulnerable communities on the global stage.

As an institution, the IFRC is engaged, respected and accountable. We are owned by, and work for, our National Societies—bringing together their lifesaving and life-changing local action for global reach.

Find out more

Turkish Red Crescent and IFRC staff stand side by side as they survey damage caused by the devastating earthquakes in southeast Turkiye on 6 February 2023.

National Societies and governments

A young Syrian girl buys food supplies near her new home in Turkey with cash assistance received as part of the IFRC and Turkish Red Crescent's Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) project, funded by the European Union

Private sector

Philippine Red Cross staff and volunteers conduct life-saving search and rescue activities in Southeastern Luzon following three typhoons and two tropical storms hitting the area within three weeks

Multilateral donors and international financial institutions

Get involved

Our work supporting vulnerable communities depends largely on financial support from partners. The IFRC is always looking to build on existing partnerships and develop new ones that align with our mission

Our aim is to secure income that is as predictable and as flexible as possible, enabling us to best serve our network.

If you or your organization would like to know more about partnering with the IFRC, please contact our Partnerships and Resource Development department: [email protected]

The value of regular resources

Un-earmarked funding, which we call regular resources, is vital to ensuring the IFRC remains an effective, accountable and adaptable organization.

As a membership organization, our primary goal is to provide sustainable support to our 191 member Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Regular resources give us the flexibility to put money where it is most needed, in line with our areas of focus.

We invest regular resources in:

  • Building the leadership and management capacities of our members
  • Improving core functions of National Societies to increase our network’s accountability and financial sustainability
  • Strategic and operational coordination of large and long-term disaster responses
  • Collecting data on community needs to help National Societies influence the global humanitarian agenda

We have worked closely with partners in recent years to increase our share of regular resources and we aspire to increase it even further. We are also committed to investing more and more regular resources into our regional, cluster and country offices—getting money as close as possible to National Societies.

You can learn more about the value of regular resources for our work in our Global Plan.

Our operational priorities

Mexican Red Cross and American Red Cross volunteers stand in a circle and discuss their joint response to the Puebla earthquake in 2018

Supporting strong National Societies

The IFRC is owned by, and works for, our 191 Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. We are stepping up our support to help them build their institutional capacity and evolve with changing humanitarian needs and risks.

A woman in Sudan affected by heavy flooding in 2020 is forced to sleep in the open after her home is damaged

Climate action and risk reduction

Climate change is a humanitarian emergency that threatens human survival now and in the future. The IFRC will support every National Society to take effective climate action—helping communities minimize, prepare for and adapt to the impacts of climate change.

Viet Nam Red Cross Society volunteers help relocate and provide emergency assistance to communities affected by Typhoon Molave in October 2020

Disaster Response Emergency Fund

The DREF is the quickest, most efficient, and most transparent mechanism for donors to channel global funding directly to local humanitarian actors. We want to expand the DREF to CHF 100 million a year—supporting lifesaving early action and enabling immediate humanitarian response to disasters that may otherwise go unnoticed.

A Syrian refugee living in Turkey purchases food using cash provided through the Emergency Social Safety Net (ESSN) programme

Global cash leadership

Giving cash to people affected by disasters is an effective and transparent way of assisting the most vulnerable. It ensures people have freedom of choice and dignity over their own lives. The IFRC is committed to delivering 50% of our humanitarian assistance through cash and vouchers by 2025.

Children in Mozambique test the first drops of water from a new water point installed by the Spanish Red Cross following Cyclone Idai in

Reducing cholera-related deaths

Cholera continues to threaten the lives of millions of people around the world. The solution is simple: equitable, sustainable and affordable access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. The IFRC is expanding our Global Water and Sanitation Initiative, with a specific target to reduce cholera-related deaths by 50% by 2025.

A volunteer from the Philippine Red Cross administers a COVID-19 vaccine in March 2021 in support of the government's country-wide vaccination programme

COVID-19 response and recovery

National Societies have provided life-saving and wide-ranging humanitarian assistance to millions of people throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. The IFRC will continue to support them, ensuring communities can recover in an inclusive, resilient and green way. This includes supporting vaccine roll-out efforts worldwide.

Current emergency appeals