Accountability
Church World Service is committed to transparency and makes available a range of information related to our governance, our finances and our relationship with partner organizations. If you don't see what you're looking for here, we hope you'll contact us.
Governance
CWS is a cooperative effort of 37 member communions in the U.S., representing millions of persons around the globe. Each of these communions may name representatives to attend our annual meeting of members. The members' meeting elects the CWS Board of Directors.
The CWS Board of Directors meets three times a year, and oversees every facet of the agency. View a list of our current board members, as well as our senior administrative staff.
Financials
CWS is tax-exempt under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Contributions to CWS are tax deductible.
Our financial records are audited by independent auditors in accordance with guidelines established by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. You can learn more about our sources of support and how we have used that support on our CWS Financials page.
Additionally, CWS is reviewed annually by GuideStar, the online standard for nonprofit accountability. Take a look at our listing, where you’ll also find our annual report, U.S. IRS form 990 and additional financial information.
Purpose
Commitments
We acknowledge and seek to share the power and funding that we bring as a U.S. and faith-based international organization and believe we can contribute meaningfully to learning and discourse on this topic.
We acknowledge the inequality and power imbalance often present within humanitarian and development programming, including its complicity with colonialism.
We value local knowledge and locally driven change processes and seek to be a humble, self-reflective and justice-oriented partner as we work with communities to advance their own goals.
We are committed to designing and delivering programs and services based on humanitarian needs, and do not discriminate in the provision or design of programs and services for any reason, including race, religion, nationality, gender or sexual orientation.
When prioritizing and designing programs, we pay particular attention to supporting individuals and communities who may be excluded from, or unable to access, existing services.
We believe that development should represent positive change for all involved and our programs should lead to improved livelihoods as communities and individuals are empowered to live healthy and prosperous lives.
Principles of Partnership
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Trust and Mutual Respect
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Alignment and Complementarity of Purpose
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Localization and Engagement of Local Capacity and Context
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Mutual Responsibility and Accountability
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Risk Sharing
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Joint Learning
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Flexibility and Responsiveness
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Inclusiveness
For more information, read our Principled Programs Partnership Approach and Philosophy Statement.
Standards
CWS adheres to all guidelines for humanitarian assistance mandated by the International Committee of the Red Cross. CWS has a long relationship with the Sphere project, a common set of international standards used in disaster response. Both set a strong mandate for appropriate standards in providing humanitarian assistance, and specifically prohibit proselytizing.