In Summary
- Forbes ranks Direct Relief the fifth largest charity in the United States in 2021, and Charity Navigator rates the organization a “Perfect 100.”
- In response to devastating tornadoes in multiple U.S. states, Direct Relief has provided medications, wound care products, Tdap vaccines, and solar power generators.
- Super Typhoon Rai has killed hundreds in the Philippines. Direct Relief is sending emergency supplies and funding.
- Many Americans live in “pharmacy deserts,” where access to pharmaceutical care and resources are scarce.
Top Stories
Direct Relief Ranked Fifth Largest Charity in the U.S., Rated “Perfect 100”
The situation: Forbes releases an annual list of the 100 largest U.S. charities, ranked by private donations. The independent evaluator Charity Navigator examined 160,000 nonprofits this year.
The response: Direct Relief, which received $1.9 billion in private donations in 2021, is fifth on the Forbes list. The organization is also one of 92 earning a “Perfect 100” from Charity Navigator for accountability and transparency.
The impact: “The acute new health challenges that Covid brought on for everyone made all the existing challenges that much worse—particularly for people and places most vulnerable and least fortunate,” said Thomas Tighe, Direct Relief President and CEO. “Direct Relief has and will continue to stretch every dollar to help in the most efficient, productive way possible.”
After Deadly Tornadoes Rip through South, Midwest, Direct Relief Launches Response Efforts
The situation: Tornadoes have ripped through parts of Kentucky, Arkansas, Illinois, Missouri, Mississippi, and Tennesee, and the death toll currently stands above 90.
The response: Direct Relief is equipping on-the-ground groups with Tdap vaccines, solar generators, insulin, wound care products, baby formula, and more.
The impact: The supplies are designated to help shelter residents and power a donation distribution point.
The Death Toll of Super Typhoon Rai Continues to Rise. Direct Relief is Responding.
The situation: As the fifteenth and strongest storm to affect the Philippines this year, Super Typhoon Rai has killed at least 375 people and injured 500.
The response: Direct Relief is coordinating with agencies on the ground, including ASEAN’s AHA Centre and the Philippines Department of Health, to send emergency supplies and provide financial support. Direct Relief-funded emergency supplies are already staged at the AHA Centre’s disaster response depot.
The impact: The organization will continue to support on-the-ground agencies and groups caring for those affected by the storm.
Across the U.S., Many Live Without Access to a Pharmacy
The situation: Millions of people in the U.S. don’t have access to a pharmacy, meaning they can’t pick up prescriptions, meet face-to-face with a pharmacist, or access other health care services.
The response: Nonprofit charitable pharmacies are working to bridge the gap, sending people their medications, often for free. And despite the distance, they still manage to keep close tabs on patients.
The impact: For many patients, these pharmacies are their only reliable link to medication they can afford. But they’re not a substitute for in-person care, an expert says.
In Brief
The United States
- Over the past two weeks, Direct Relief has made 780 shipments to 516 partners in 45 states and territories, totaling $10.5 million in value and more than 17,425 pounds.
- During the same period, $1.2 million in grants was distributed.
- Direct Relief has begun receiving donations of Narcan, a nasally-administered form of naloxone that is frequently requested by health facilities and organizations, for groups fighting the opioid crisis.
Around the World
- In the past two weeks, Direct Relief has made 43 shipments to 34 partners in 22 countries, totaling $34.4 million in value and more than 91,480 pounds.
- A total of $100,000 was granted during the same period of time.
