Direct Relief was the highest-rated California-based charity in Forbes Magazine’s newly-released 2016 annual ranking of the 100 largest U.S. charities.

Direct Relief earned a perfect score of 100 percent in fundraising efficiency (percent of private donations remaining after fundraising expenses) and a 99 percent rating for its charitable commitment (charitable services as a percent of total expenses).

The Forbes ranking is the most recent of several accolades received in 2016 by the humanitarian medical aid group:

• CNBC last month named Direct Relief #1 on its list of “Top 10 Charities Changing the World in 2016.”
• Of the more than 8,000 charities rated by independent evaluator Charity Navigator, Direct Relief was one of only 49 to achieve a perfect score of 100 under Charity Navigator’s new rating system, CN 2.1. To be named to the Perfect 100 list, Direct Relief achieved perfect scores in Charity Navigator’s two main ratings categories, Financial Health and Accountability & Transparency.
• Charity Navigator last month named Direct Relief its highest ranked charity in the Humanitarian Relief Supplies category.

Supported only by private, charitable contributions, Direct Relief this year (FY2016) extended more help to more people in need than ever before in its 68-year history, furnishing $760 million in essential medications, vaccines, instruments and supplies through 11,146 deliveries to all 50 states and 81 countries.

Over the past 12 months, Direct Relief’s activities have included the following:

• In response to Hurricane Matthew, Direct Relief delivered $10 million in medicines and medical supplies to Haiti – nearly 20 tons, including more than half a million daily doses of medication. Direct Relief also shipped more than $1.3 million worth of supplies to storm-affected communities in the U.S.
• When a 7.8 magnitude earthquake on April 16 caused devastation in Ecuador, Direct Relief chartered a 767 cargo aircraft that delivered 47 tons of medicines and supplies worth $2.1 million – the largest single shipment of emergency medical assistance sent in response.
• Direct Relief this year has provided more than $4 million in critically-needed medical items to support health services for refugees of Syria’s civil war.
• In Liberia and Sierra Leone, where maternal mortality has gone up since the Ebola crisis, Direct Relief provided prenatal vitamins to more than 100,000 expectant or recent mothers.

Since 2000, Direct Relief has provided more than $2.2 billion in medical resources to support health services for low-income people in 88 developing countries and all 50 U.S. states.