What we do

Some things should be passed on to our kids — poverty isn’t one of them.

Comic Relief US is committed to breaking the cycle of intergenerational poverty. Our work creates opportunities for the next generation so they are no longer held back by historical injustice – and can instead build a fairer world where anyone can succeed.

How We Provide Comic Relief
A young girl laughing

You know those live concerts, online games and big, splashy, celebrity-filled specials that raise millions of dollars to alleviate poverty?

That’s us.

Distributing that money to the organizations that work to eliminate chronic poverty? That’s us, too.

Comic Relief US supports 48+ community-based, national, and international organizations that serve children and young people in the U.S. and around the world.

Three principles drive our approach:

Enabling the communities we serve to lead the way

People closest to the problems are closest to the solutions. We identify organizations with strong ties to historically marginalized groups so they can scale their work, expand their reach and support their communities.

Fostering racial and gender equity

Our initiatives focus on tackling discriminatory systems that trap families in a state of economic hardship so we can realize broader, lasting change.

Creating opportunities and building resiliency

We support programs that set individuals and communities up for success so they have the skills and resources to recover when setbacks occur.

Our Impact

$421 million raised.  
32+ million children helped.

But that's hardly the whole story.

More frequent and healthier check-ups

We invest in partners that provide healthcare services, including 41 million+ nutritious meals and 11 million+ life-saving vaccines for children, their families and care-givers. 

More doors opened

We give children and young people opportunities to develop as leaders in their communities and become better advocates for themselves so they have more power to shape their future.

More children with a safe place to call home

We’ve helped 100,000+ children experiencing homelessness find a safe place to live.

More graduations to celebrate

We enrolled more than 1.4 million students – from preschool through high school — in fundamental educational programs to prepare them for success beyond the classroom.