By
Alycia O'Dell

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Stay impactful,

Located on the typhoon belt and the Pacific Earthquake Rim, the citizens of the Philippines face an average of 20 typhoons per year. Moreover, the Philippines is the third most disaster-prone country in the world, with the threat of tsunamis, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions always looming. Moreover, 23.7% of the population lives below the poverty line, contributing to the rapid spread of disease and chronic malnutrition. Luckily, organizations around the world work to help the people of the Philippines survive and thrive. So we had to ask: What are the best charities impacting the Philippines?

The best charities impacting the Philippines are Direct Relief and UNICEF. Charities like Doctors Without Borders and Americares focus on meeting the medical needs of vulnerable Filipinos.

Whether you want to stop the spread of preventable disease in the Philippines, contribute to emergency response efforts following natural disasters, or ensure Filipino children have access to nutritious food, there is a charity for you. Keep reading to learn more about what the best charities impacting the Philippines are all about, how they work, and what your best way would be to contribute. 

Here’s What All the Best Charities Impacting the Philippines Have in Common

The charities on this list were chosen based on their mission, impact, and transparency ratings, and achievements.

The majority of these charities are based in the US, but they all operate internationally in the world’s most vulnerable countries, including the Philippines.

Many of these charities seek to break the cycle of poverty by focusing on economic empowerment, while others invest in the health, education, and safety of women and children.

Some of these charities focus on helping the Philippines prepare for and recover from natural disasters, while others provide year-round support. Some focus on providing immediate relief in the form of medical supplies and food, while others ensure ongoing access to quality healthcare.

Yet, they all share the same goal of improving the quality of life in the Philippines.

These Are the 9 Best Charities Impacting the Philippines in 2025

Below are our favorite charities impacting the Philippines (you can click on their link to directly jump to their section in this article):

(At the end of this article we’ll also share our six-step approach on how you can select the best charity to support.)

Direct Relief: Enhancing Resilience through Preparedness

Direct Relief holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“Healthy People. Better World.”

Direct Relief

Direct Relief helps vulnerable countries, like the Philippines, to prepare for and recover from natural disasters. For example, they provide emergency medical relief directly following disasters in the Philippines, including typhoons, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. And, post-disaster, the organization coordinates with existing partners to assess the devastation and coordinate relief efforts. For example, they help mitigate the impact of future disasters by working to strengthen the Philippines’ infrastructure and healthcare systems, including installing new water sources, expanding disaster response capacity, and improving access to sexual and reproductive health. 

Since their founding, Direct Relief has remained committed to supporting vulnerable communities in times of crisis, including the Philippines. For example, in the year following Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, they delivered 286 tons of life-saving aid valued at more than $16.4 million. Furthermore, the organization has provided almost $51 million in medical aid, including almost 21 million doses of medicine and nearly 660,000 lbs of medical supplies to the Philippines since 2010.

You can donate to Direct Relief via their website. You can also support the charity by volunteering or participating in a Direct Relief Gaming fundraiser.

UNICEF: For Every Child in Danger

UNICEF holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“For every child in danger.”

UNICEF

UNICEF works to end suffering for all children in need, including those in the Philippines, through programs aimed at meeting the needs of children, youth, and adolescents. For example, their child survival initiatives focus on reducing child and maternal mortalities by increasing access to essential maternal and newborn care, as well as preventing and treating malnutrition. As another example, their child protection initiatives help ensure that all Filipino children grow up in a safe and protective environment. And, their education programs work to help all children, especially early learners and those in rural areas, have equitable access to quality education.

For over 50 years, UNICEF has worked to make the Philippines safer and healthier for marginalized children, youth, and women. For example, in 2023, their nutrition interventions benefitted more than 223,000 children and over 23,000 women, and almost 2,200 frontline workers across 211 health facilities were trained to provide adequate nutrition services. Moreover, they helped ensure uninterrupted access to education for over 3.5 million learners through remote learning interventions and engaged almost 440 teachers and more than 17,000 students through their climate change education program.

You can donate to UNICEF through their website. You can also support the charity by purchasing items from their online shop or by volunteering.

Doctors Without Borders: Impartial Medical Aid

Doctors Without Borders holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator and the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“Medical care where it is needed most.”

Doctors Without Borders

Doctors Without Borders focuses on curbing the spread of preventable diseases, emergency response, and mental health in the Philippines. For example, to reduce the burden of tuberculosis in densely populated and impoverished areas, they launched a mobile X-ray truck, allowing people who would otherwise be unable to access a chest X-ray to be diagnosed and treated. They also conduct home visits, administer skin tests, and offer preventive TB treatment to children. Moreover, their emergency response includes supporting health facilities with additional staff, running mobile clinics to provide mental health and psychosocial support, and supplying hygiene items, safe water, and medical materials.

Since their founding, Doctors Without Borders has helped tens of millions of people in over 70 countries, including the Philippines, access high-quality health care regardless of race, religion, creed, or political affiliation. Globally, the organization provided more than 16.2 million medical consultations and admitted over 1.2 million patients to their hospitals in 2022 alone. In the same year, they provided almost 18,000 outpatient consultations in the Philippines and their total expenditure in the country was roughly $4 million.

You can donate directly to Doctors Without Borders through their website. You can also support the charity by attending an event or organizing a fundraiser.

Americares: Health-Focused Relief in the Philippines

Americares holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator as well as the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar. 

“Health is on the way.”

Americares

Americares works to ensure ongoing access to quality healthcare for Filipinos, especially following natural disasters. Their in-country team mobilizes immediately following natural disasters, assessing needs and responding accordingly. For example, when Super Typhoon Haiyan struck the country in 2013, Americares responded by providing enough medicines to fill 1 million prescriptions and 1.3 million relief supplies, like bandages, nutritional supplements, and blankets. Furthermore, they provide emergency funding to help restore damaged medical facilities and direct support for volunteer medical teams. They also respond to health crises in the Philippines, including the Dengue Outbreak of 2019.

Since their founding, Americares has provided more than $15 billion in aid to 164 countries, including the Philippines, through immediate and ongoing support following humanitarian crises. For example, their extended response to Super Typhoon Haiyan included more than $21 million in medical and humanitarian aid, which helped rebuild 83 medical facilities in 3 regions, restoring access to healthcare for roughly 2 million people. And, their relief efforts also included training over 2,300 health workers to provide mental health services, giving more than 130,000 survivors access to mental health services. Moreover, in 2022 alone, they supported more than 4,000 health centers globally, reaching more than 3 million people with medicine alone. 

You can donate to Americares via their website. You can also support the charity by volunteering or donating products.

Save the Children: Ensuring a Healthy Start

Save the Children holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, as well as the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“All children deserve a healthy start in life.”

Save the Children

Save the Children works to give Filipino children a healthy start, learning opportunities, and protection from harm. For example, their health and nutrition programs provide support and nutrition education to prevent malnourishment, boost maternal health, and increase access to essential hygiene items, clean water, and sanitation. As another example, their education programs focus on early learning, teacher and family support, and uninterrupted access to school. Moreover, their child protection initiatives collaborate with the Filipino government, schools, and other child-centric organizations to ensure that all children grow up in a safe environment free from violence. And, Save the Children’s humanitarian response includes immediate disaster relief and recovery, as well as ongoing social-emotional support.

Since their founding, Save the Children has changed the lives of over 1 billion children. In 2022, their programs impacted over 2.3 million people throughout the Philippines and reached over 2,500 households with humanitarian support and assistance. Furthermore, their advocacy efforts have contributed to the passage of new laws to protect vulnerable children. For example, in 2022, Republic Act 11650 was signed into law, safeguarding the recognition, protection, and promotion of rights for learners with disabilities. As another example, Republic Act 11648 addressed the limitations of the 1997 Anti-Rape Law and increased the age to determine statutory rape from 12 to 16 years old.

You can donate to Save the Children via their website. You can also support the charity by participating in a fundraiser, volunteering, or sponsoring a child.

CARE: Defending Dignity and Fighting Poverty

CARE holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, as well as the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“We seek a world of hope, inclusion, and social justice, where poverty has been overcome and all people live with dignity and security.”

CARE

CARES operations in the Philippines focus on disaster response and preparedness, gender equality, and livelihood recovery. For example, they incorporate gender- and gender-based violence programming into their humanitarian and development work, including ensuring that displaced women and girls have access to sexual and reproductive healthcare. As another example, they help vulnerable communities prepare for and rebuild after natural disasters through integrated risk management, which includes climate change adaptation. Furthermore, their Project WAVES program supports enterprising women as they rebuild their livelihoods following natural disasters.

CARE has responded to every major disaster in the Philippines since they began working in the country in 1949, while also providing ongoing support. In 2023 alone, their programs reached almost 420,000 people, more than half of whom were women and girls. For example, almost 80,000 people were impacted by their gender equality initiatives, while almost 260,000 women and girls received increased access to equitable healthcare. As another example, they were the first NGO to mobilize a food distribution response for COVID-19 in March 2020, and they have reached over 750,000 people directly with food, WASH, and health programs since the onset of the pandemic.

You can donate to CARE via their website. You can also support the charity by joining their advocacy efforts or attending an event.

World Vision: Bringing Hope to Children Around the World

World Vision holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, as well as the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“Pulling up the roots of poverty and planting the seeds of change.”

World Vision

World Vision’s work in the Philippines centers on education, health, and nutrition. For example, they partner with schools, donors, government agencies, and children to improve learning outcomes with initiatives that promote literacy and create safe and stimulating learning environments. As another example, they help teens transition to economic empowerment in adulthood through programs that provide vocational training, employment coaching, and college readiness. Furthermore, they improve the health and nutrition of children and families by promoting long-term behavioral changes to prevent malnourishment, teaching practical early childhood development practices, and providing accessible sanitation facilities.

Since their founding, World Vision has improved the lives of millions of families, including those in the Philippines. For example, in 2022, their education initiatives impacted over 132,000 people, with almost 110,000 children receiving learning kits, over 45,000 participating in life skills development activities, and over 4,000 parents and caregivers trained to support their child’s education. Furthermore, in the same year, their health and nutrition programs benefited over 800,000 people, including screening almost 450,000 children for malnutrition and educating almost 330,000 pregnant women, caregivers, and parents on good practices for maternal and child nutrition, proper hygiene, and healthcare.

You can donate to World Vision via their website or fund a microloan. You can also support the charity by sponsoring a child.

Food for the Hungry: Strengthening Communities to End Poverty

Food for the Hungry holds a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator.

“Turning adversity into impact.”

Food for the Hungry

Food for the Hungry works with communities in the Philippines to create and implement sustainable solutions to poverty. The organization began providing humanitarian relief in the Philippines by supporting Vietnamese refugees during the Vietnam War in 1978, and they continue their work in the country today. In addition to providing life-saving resources such as food, medical aid, clean water, and sanitation to children and families directly, they also set communities up to thrive long-term, especially in remote and Indigenous communities. For example, they provide vocational and agricultural training, promote financial literacy, and ensure ongoing access to education for children of all ages. They also help communities learn to respond to and withstand crises and conflict through their Shared Resilience Approach.

Since their founding, Food for the Hungry has remained dedicated to ending poverty in some of the hardest-to-reach places on earth like the Philippines. In 2022 alone, they reached nearly 10 million people across more than 3,500 communities in 18 countries experiencing extreme poverty. For example, in the Philippines, they reached almost 97,000 people through 6 projects, including supporting over 7,400 families through their disaster response operations. Furthermore, in the same year, 356,751 people around the world benefited from their water, sanitation, and hygiene initiatives, while participants in their Savings and Farmers groups generated over $10 million in assets to provide for their families.

You can donate directly to Food for the Hungry through their website. You can also support the charity by sponsoring a child or by purchasing items from their gift catalog, such as hygiene kits and livestock.

Compassion International: Helping Communities Fight Poverty

Compassion International holds the Platinum Seal of Transparency from GuideStar.

“Releasing children from poverty in the name of Jesus.”

Compassion International

Compassion International pairs impoverished children, including those in the Philippines, with a financial sponsor, allowing them to access life-changing services. They also partner with churches in impoverished communities to provide services to children such as medical checkups, educational assistance, and nutritious meals. In addition, they help children prepare for success in adulthood through vocational training, financial literacy training, and college preparation. Also, their Compassion Survival initiative focuses on maternal and infant health to reduce infant mortality and ensure children get a healthy start in life.

Today, Compassion International provides care to more than 2.3 million children globally, including almost 105,000 in the Philippines. For example, in 2022 they distributed 10.6 million family food packs and 7.6 million hygiene kits to those in need around the world. In the same year, they provided medical interventions, like emergency surgeries, injury treatments, and trauma counseling to 1.5 million vulnerable children. And, their Compassion Survival initiative has provided life-saving interventions to more than 38,000 babies and their mothers.

You can donate to Compassion International via their website. You can also support the charity by sponsoring a child or volunteering.

How Can You Select the Best Charities to Support?

The charities on the list are, we deem, the best charities impacting the Philippines. However, you may have a particular charity you want to support. Let’s look at what you can do to ensure your contribution has the most significant impact.

• Check out the charity website. Charities that are worthy of your donations are transparent in their mission and their figures. Familiarize yourself with their history, mission, and values. Their website usually is the best place to start.
• Identify the charity’s mission. Without a goal, the charity is likely to fail. If the charity’s mission isn’t clear, it’s probably worth looking for a charity that does have a clear mission. 
• Check if the charity has measurable goals. An effective charity has clear goals. You want to know your donation will help the charity reach its goals. But if it doesn’t have targets, it’s likely to fail or squander your gift. The charity should be able to account for its spending and supply evidence of the work they do.
• Assess the successes or goals the charity has achieved. You wouldn’t invest in a business if it kept missing its targets. In the same way, charities are like this too. If no one is assessing a charity’s progress in reaching its targets, the chances are they’re not making a substantial positive change.
• Check the charity’s financials and stats. Trustworthy organizations will publish financial statements and reports each year. Some might be exempt from having to do so, but they should be able to provide them to public members who are interested in donating.
• Locate sources who work with or benefit from the charity. Word of mouth and first-hand experience of a charity’s work lets you know the charity’s quality. If you’re able to do so, check out the charity for yourself or speak to someone familiar with it. This way, your donation will go to the right place. 

How Can You Best Support These Charities?

After you’ve made your decision, it’s time for you to decide on how you’d like to help the charities you’ve chosen. Check how you can help – each charity runs specific programs that have unique aims. Find out what the aim of such programs is and whether they are right for you. 

Here are a few ways you can help your chosen charity:

• Donate money. You can find donation pages on the websites of most charities. Your donation can be a one-time payment, or you can set it to be deducted regularly at different intervals. You can mostly pay via credit card, but some charities also take PayPal or Bitcoin payments.
• Buy their official merchandise. Charities can also raise money by selling merchandise. So, you can support them by buying the mugs, shirts, caps, pens, pencils, and any other such items they may be selling. Ideally, you should buy as much as you can to share and spread the word about the charity’s activities.
• Engage in volunteer work. As you’ve seen from our descriptions above, some charities engage in a lot of local and grassroots programs. You can help by taking on and organizing the program in your local area.
• Help their fundraising efforts. You can spread the word about the charity in your workplace, school, church, etc., and hold creative fundraising drives on social media or offline within your small circles.
• Share their stories. Most charities have compelling stories that you can share with your audience to attract more people to the cause.

Final Thoughts

Now it is up to you to select the charity that resonates most with you. And whichever charity you end up choosing and contributing to, we are sure that they will immensely appreciate your support. Hopefully, the information within this article has made this selection process a bit easier for you to support charities dedicated to impacting the Philippines—based on the causes that matter most to you.

Stay impactful,

PS: Finally, I want to leave you with a thought-provoking TED talk from Dan Pallotta, a leading philanthropic activist and fundraiser, about what is wrong with the way we think about charities – and what we can do about it:

Sources

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