Katana VentraIP

Save the Children USA

Save the Children Federation, Inc., more commonly known as Save the Children USA, is a non-profit organization in the United States. Its stated goal is to improve the lives of children in the U.S. and around the world. Its headquarters is in Fairfield, Connecticut.

Founded

1932

NGO

United States and Worldwide

Janti Soeripto (President & CEO)[1]

The organization was established in 1932 to help children in the Appalachian mountains during the Great Depression. It was modeled on the Save the Children Fund which had been established in Britain in 1919.[2]


Save the Children USA is part of Save the Children International, which operates in over 120 countries. It was rated 4-stars by the Charity Navigator from 2001 to 2014,[3] 3-stars from 2015 to 2017, and 4-stars in 2018 and 2019.[4]

Ambassadors[edit]

Save the Children identifies its ambassadors as high-profile individuals that are widely-recognized as prominent members of their field and demonstrate a commitment to the organization's mission.[13] Ambassadors promote the organization's work, raise funds, and advocate to create lasting change for children in need. As of July 2023, ambassadors for the organization include Camila Cabello,[14] Dakota Fanning,[15] Jennifer Garner,[16] Enrique Iglesias,[17] and Olivia Wilde.[18]

Controversies[edit]

Sponsorship scandal[edit]

In March 1998, the Chicago Tribune reported that the organization was had mishandled donation funds; The investigation revealed that two dozen donors were making contributions to sponsor dead children.[26] In one instance, an American family with the surname "Dixon" had been sending $20/month to a child by the name of Abdoul Kone who died in a donkey cart accident nearly 3 years prior.[27] The scandal resulted in the dismissal of a Mali-based employee.[28] Three additional employees were reprimanded for allowing the deaths to go unreported.[28]

Traces of lead in mugs[edit]

In October 1998, Save the Children USA recalled approximately 2,000 mugs when it was revealed that their lead content, while in compliance with Federal guidelines, exceeded the levels of a voluntary standard to be instituted in California the following year.[29]