100% for our mission
Catholic Charities is fully responsible for securing our own funding. We rely on the generosity of mission-driven people and organizations to join us in caring for our neighbors.
Our mission relies on
raising $180 million
in funding each year
With an annual operating budget of roughly $180 million, we are among the largest human service providers in the U.S. and the Chicago metropolitan region. We are a cornerstone — our region’s safety net depends on us.
Each year, we are responsible for securing all of our funding. While we are a non-profit organization overseen by the Archbishop of Chicago, Cardinal Blase Cupich, we operate in parallel and separately from the corporate and financial structure of the Archdiocese. We do not receive any on-going, financial support from the Archdiocese.
We are proud of our Platinum GuideStar rating as an independent nonprofit.
100% of every donation and grant that we receive goes to supporting our mission and charitable works. We are not asked nor expected to share any of our funding with the Archdiocese. Our funding goes fully to our mission.
In FY26, we required private investment of $32.4MM to
advance our mission
Currently, we receive funding in three ways, roughly: government contracts, “co-pay” program fees, fundraising and, when needed, from withdrawals from our endowment. But our endowment funds are limited. We cannot sustain our works through our endowment. As of June 30, 2025, we had a total endowment balance of $98.9 million.
Everything we do is powered through partnership
Since our founding, we have been an organization that partners. The generosity, compassion, and collaboration of our partners is what makes our work possible.
Our private donors
Each year, the generosity of so many people, families, foundations, and corporations makes our work possible. In FY25, 10,000 private partners made nearly 20,000 gifts to support our work.
Like the people we serve, these partners represent a broad range of backgrounds, including many different faith and life perspectives, but are all united by our commitment to serve the most vulnerable in our region.
Our faith-based partners
While we are fully and financially independent of the Archdiocese, many faith-based organizations regularly contribute to our mission and remain our strongest advocates.
In FY25, 192 Catholic parishes from across our region made financial gifts to Catholic Charities, as did several Protestant, Mormon, and Jewish organizations.
Our government partners
It is our calling to be a trusted advocate and partner at the highest levels, as we work to address the poverty, homelessness, and social isolation that characterize our age.
We are proud to be a go-to partner for government and civic leaders at the local, state, and federal levels, particularly in times of need. We work closely with our government partners to provide essential services.
With 60% more people living in poverty today than in 2000, private action, advocacy, and witness are more important than ever.
We are efficient
and accountable
We spend only 2% of our operating budget on fundraising and only 9% on administration. We are audited annually by Deloitte and are proud to have a Platinum GuideStar rating.
Catholic Charities Total Operating Expenses
for 2025 Fiscal Year
Annual reports
and tax forms
View our annual reports and tax forms to learn more about our impact, financial stewardship, and commitment to transparency.
