International Rescue Committee

What International Rescue Committee does

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a 501(c)(3) humanitarian nonprofit founded in 1933, headquartered at 122 East 42nd Street, New York, with operations in over 40 countries and 28 U.S. cities, employing 10,000+ staff and managing an annual budget exceeding $1 billion. It delivers emergency relief, healthcare, nutrition, education, water and sanitation, women's protection, economic recovery, and resettlement services to conflict- and disaster-affected populations, including refugees, internally displaced persons, and host communities. Major crisis footprints in 2025-2026 include Ukraine, Gaza, Sudan, Somalia, South Sudan, DRC (including Bundibugyo Ebola response), Lebanon, Yemen, Bangladesh (Rohingya), Syria, and Venezuela.

IRC's revenue model is diversified across four streams: U.S. and European government grants (USAID, State Department, EU, UK DFID — historically the largest institutional source but contracting in 2025), foundation and corporate grants (Bloomberg Philanthropies ~30-year partnership, IKEA Foundation €30M, Lego Foundation $100M, Rockefeller Foundation $10M, Pfizer Foundation, Citi Foundation, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, Thompson Family Foundation), individual donations through rescue.org and help.rescue.org plus phone, mail, text, workplace giving (Benevity, Fidelity Giving Marketplace, GlobalGiving), and donor-advised funds, stock, and crypto gifts. 87 cents of every dollar goes to programs.

The technology stack centers on the Signpost digital information platform (~20M users, 20 countries, 25+ languages) with the SignpostChat AI assistant (Anthropic Claude), the aprendIA learning chatbot (OpenAI) deployed in Nigeria/Bangladesh/DRC, the Airbel Impact Lab innovation unit, the Airbel Ventures impact-investing fund (pilot targeting $50M, first investment Signalytic), and the Dioptra cost-efficiency analysis software used across the humanitarian sector. Distribution combines direct field operations (mobile medical teams, community health workers, resettlement offices) with an extensive partnership ecosystem spanning Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, Microsoft, Meta, Cisco, Sesame Workshop, Uber, and a network of workplace giving platforms.

Name

International Rescue Committee

Legal name

International Rescue Committee

Website

https://rescue.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

The International Rescue Committee is a humanitarian nonprofit founded in 1933 that delivers emergency relief, healthcare, nutrition, education, and resettlement services to conflict- and disaster-affected populations in over 40 countries and 28 U.S. cities, funded by government grants, foundations, and individual donors, with an annual budget exceeding $1 billion.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Aid Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Emergency and Other Relief Services (624230)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disaster Recovery, Reconstruction & Resilience Programs (BPAGAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Humanitarian assistance services
• Refugee resettlement programs
• Emergency relief operations
• International development aid
• Crisis response programs

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices36 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters via the IRC's website, phone lines, direct mail, text campaigns, and monthly giving programs. Individual donations represent the largest share of private funding, with the IRC's efficiency rating showing 86-87% of funds going to program services.
2. Government Grants (USAID, State Department, and other governments): Funding from U.S. government agencies (USAID, State Department), European governments, and other national government aid programs. In 2025, 46 IRC awards from USAID and State Department were terminated, and the IRC's Ukraine budget was halved to $20 million (2027) from $40 million (2024) due to U.S. aid cuts. UK government overseas aid was cut by 50%. This stream represents a significant portion of institutional funding but is subject to political fluctuations.
3. Foundation and Corporate Grants: Multi-year commitments from foundations such as Rockefeller Foundation ($10 million for Airbel Impact Lab), Bloomberg Philanthropies (30-year partnership), IKEA Foundation (Re:Build program, 30 million euros over 5 years), Pfizer Foundation, Lego Foundation, and others. These provide more predictable funding for specific programs and innovation initiatives.
4. EU-funded Programs: EU-funded projects such as SkillsPath (€692,122 from ESF/ESF+ budget for youth employment in Germany, Greece, and Spain) and EU-supported healthcare centers in Yemen.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) provides emergency humanitarian relief and long-term recovery support to people affected by conflict and disaster, operating field offices and mobile teams in 40+ crisis-affected countries and 28 U.S. cities. Its programs span five outcome areas — Economic Wellbeing, Education, Health, Empowerment, and Safety — delivering services such as primary healthcare, nutrition treatment, cash assistance, resettlement case management, and protection from violence to refugees, internally displaced persons, and host communities. The IRC also runs an in-house innovation unit (Airbel Impact Lab), an impact investing fund (Airbel Ventures), and proprietary digital platforms such as Signpost, aprendIA, and Dioptra that support humanitarian service delivery.

Product overview

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a humanitarian organization with a portfolio of technology products and programs designed to serve crisis-affected populations. Its core digital platforms include Signpost (a multilingual information-sharing platform serving 20 million users in 20 countries) with its AI-powered component SignpostChat, and the Airbel Impact Lab (an internal innovation unit). The IRC has recently launched Airbel Ventures (a $50M Africa-focused impact investing fund) and partnered with Anthropic to deploy Claude for Nonprofits across frontline services. Education programs include aprendIA (AI chatbot for learning via WhatsApp), the AudioClass System (audio-based supplementary education), Ahlan Simsim (early childhood development with Sesame Workshop), and PlayMatters (play-based learning). Livelihood programs include Re:BUiLD and Resilient Futures. Cost efficiency is supported by Dioptra, an open-source analysis tool. The IRC also develops smartphone-based diagnostic tools for disease detection in crisis settings. These products are funded through philanthropic partnerships and operate across 40+ countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Airbel Impact Lab: IRC's research and innovation team designing, testing, and scaling life-changing solutions to address the biggest challenges in humanitarian crisis-affected countries.
• Airbel Ventures
• Signpost
• Signpost AI
• aprendIA
• Re:BUILD
• Dioptra
• Ahlan Simsim

Products and services

• Signpost Community-driven digital information sharing platform that provides crisis-affected people with reliable, life-saving information about local services, healthcare, legal services, and humanitarian support across 20 countries in 25 languages, serving approximately 18-20 million active users.
• AudioClass System (ACS) Chatbot-based supplementary education delivery system using audio content for Venezuelan migrant children in Colombia, designed to prevent school dropout using accessible messaging technologies.
• Airbel Impact Lab IRC's in-house innovation and research team that designs, tests, and scales life-changing solutions to address the greatest challenges in humanitarian crises, including AI-powered tools, cost efficiency methodologies, and new program approaches.
• Airbel Ventures Africa-focused humanitarian impact investing fund with a pilot targeting up to $50 million in catalytic capital to accelerate breakthrough technologies in crisis-affected communities, investing in startups across climate, health, economic resilience, and education sectors.
• aprendIA AI chatbot platform developed with OpenAI that delivers personalized learning programs to children and teachers via WhatsApp and other messaging platforms in Nigeria, Bangladesh, and DRC, integrating ChatGPT with local language support and expert-reviewed educational content.
• Dioptra Open-source cost efficiency analysis software tool that calculates cost-per-output for humanitarian interventions, developed by IRC and now used by 8 major humanitarian organizations to manage $70 billion in aid spending.
• Re:BUiLD Livelihood and economic resilience program supported by the IKEA Foundation that provides business training, apprenticeships, seed grants, and financial services to urban refugees in East Africa and other locations.
• Ahlan Simsim Early childhood development program developed with Sesame Workshop, the largest early childhood program in humanitarian response history, serving 1.7 million children and caregivers in Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria since 2017 through in-person services and Arabic-language Sesame Street content.
• Resilient Futures Youth entrepreneurship and employment program funded by the Citi Foundation that provides business training, startup grants, mentoring, and networking opportunities to displaced youth across Greece, Germany, Cameroon, Nigeria, Lebanon, Jordan, and Mexico.
• PlayMatters Play-based learning initiative funded by the LEGO Foundation that enhances cognitive, social, emotional, physical, and creative development for refugee children in Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania.
• Smartphone-Based Diagnostic Tools Mobile health tools using AI-assisted analysis for disease detection (including mpox and malnutrition screening via arm circumference measurement), undergoing evaluation in DRC and Burundi for deployment in remote crisis settings.

Quantifiable outcome

• 602,500+ children and youth supported in learning programs in 2025
• +10 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration15 records

AI capability10 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• AnthropiccoreTechnology or Integration · 22 January 2026Strategic partnership to deploy Claude AI for nonprofits across IRC frontline services. Claude for Nonprofits provides discounted access (up to 75%) on Claude team and enterprise plans, free AI training, and integration connectors to nonprofit platforms. The IRC is among the first humanitarian organizations to deploy enterprise-grade AI for direct client service delivery.
• SignalyticflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2026Airbel Ventures' first investment went to Nigeria-based Signalytic, which provides solar-powered computing devices for remote healthcare centers. The IRC is piloting the technology through its Nigeria Health team, addressing the fact that 60-90% of rural health clinics in Africa lack stable power or internet access.
• OpenAIcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2025IRC and OpenAI co-developed aprendIA, an AI chatbot platform providing personalized learning programs to crisis-affected children and teachers via WhatsApp and other accessible messaging platforms. Currently deployed in Nigeria, Bangladesh, and DRC.
• Sesame WorkshopflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRC and Sesame Workshop co-developed Ahlan Simsim, the largest humanitarian early childhood program in history (1.7 million children and caregivers reached). Won MacArthur Foundation's $100 million 100&Change competition in 2017, with an additional $100 million from Lego Foundation in 2018. Combines Sesame Workshop's educational content with IRC's humanitarian expertise.
• UberminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2017, Uber provides IRC clients with transportation through cash and Uber credits. In-app fundraising campaigns delivered $4 million for IRC Ukraine emergency response and $2 million for Afghanistan emergency response. In 2023, Uber pledged $1.5 million over 3 years for IRC client and staff transportation.
• Google (Google.org, Google.org Fellowship)coreTechnology or IntegrationGoogle supports IRC's humanitarian technology initiatives including the Signpost platform (with Meta, Microsoft, Cisco, TripAdvisor, Zendesk as technology partners), climate adaptation research (Nigeria early action project), and various AI/data initiatives. Google.org provided over $22 million in funding and staff volunteering and technical expertise.
• CiscocoreTechnology or IntegrationPart of the Signpost technology coalition (alongside Google, Microsoft, Meta, TripAdvisor, Zendesk, Breakthrough Prize Foundation, Schmidt Futures) providing cutting-edge technology to connect crisis-affected people with essential services like healthcare and legal aid.
• Meta (Facebook)coreTechnology or IntegrationPart of the Signpost technology coalition. Meta also works with IRC for Facebook Custom Audiences for targeted advertising, and Meta's infrastructure supports Signpost platform reach.
• MicrosoftcoreTechnology or IntegrationPart of the Signpost technology coalition, providing technology infrastructure to support IRC's digital information platform for refugees across multiple countries.
• Education Above All Foundation (EAC Program)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Education Above All Foundation to improve educational access in Nigeria's conflict-affected northeast. Combined accelerated learning, income-generating activities, and emergency preparedness to provide education to over 20,000 primary school-age children, exceeding targets. Also supported by Qatar Fund for Development.
• GiveWellcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGiveWell partnered with IRC to deliver safe water to 1.7 million people in Chad, Nigeria, and Somalia using a cost-effective approach. GiveWell has also funded IRC's malnutrition treatment program redesign, which cut per-child treatment cost by 50% in the Sahel region.
• Breakthrough Prize FoundationcoreTechnology or IntegrationBreakthrough Prize Foundation is part of the Signpost technology coalition, providing funding and technology support for IRC's Signpost refugee information platform launched in 2015.
• Schmidt FuturescoreTechnology or IntegrationSchmidt Futures is part of the Signpost technology coalition supporting IRC's digital information platform for refugees across multiple countries.
• TripAdvisor FoundationcoreTechnology or IntegrationTripAdvisor Foundation is part of the Signpost technology coalition supporting IRC's digital information platform for refugees.
• ZendeskcoreTechnology or IntegrationZendesk is part of the Signpost technology coalition supporting IRC's digital information platform for refugees.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Catholic Relief Services: U.S.-based international humanitarian agency operating in 100+ countries with similar emergency response, health, and education programs. Comparable in scale, donor base, and federal grant funding exposure.
• Médecins Sans Frontières / Doctors Without Borders: One of the largest medical humanitarian organizations globally, providing emergency medical care in conflict zones and disease outbreaks. Directly comparable to IRC in mission, scale, geographic reach, and donor-funded nonprofit model.
• CARE International: Major humanitarian NGO operating across emergency response, food security, and women's empowerment programs in 100+ countries. Direct peer to IRC in service scope, donor base, and operational footprint.
• Save the Children: Global NGO focused on children's welfare in crisis and development contexts. Comparable to IRC's child-focused programs (Ahlan Simsim, PlayMatters), funding model, and geographic presence.
• Mercy Corps: Humanitarian and development organization operating in 40+ countries with similar emergency response and economic recovery programs. Closely comparable in size, model, and crisis-response capabilities to IRC.
• United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR): UN agency mandated to lead refugee protection worldwide. Most direct peer to IRC's refugee resettlement, asylum, and protection programs; competes for similar donor funding and policy influence.
• Norwegian Refugee Council: Independent humanitarian organization focused on displacement and refugee needs in 40+ countries. Direct peer in operating geographies, mandate overlap, and institutional funding base.
• Oxfam International: Global confederation focused on poverty, inequality, and humanitarian response. Comparable to IRC in scale, donor-funded model, emergency response programs, and multi-country footprint.
• World Vision International: Christian humanitarian organization operating in 100+ countries with similar child welfare, emergency response, and development programs. Comparable funding model and broad geographic reach.
• International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC): One of the oldest and largest humanitarian organizations, focused on conflict-affected populations worldwide. Direct peer in mission, scale, neutral-impartial positioning, and crisis response capabilities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theirc
• YouTubeyoutube.com/RESCUEorg
• Facebookfacebook.com/InternationalRescueCommittee
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-rescue-committee
• Instagraminstagram.com/RESCUEorg

Compliance8 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors6 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about International Rescue Committee