Public safety and disaster charities, by the numbers.
5,787 of them filed a full Form 990 and spent $6.1B between them.
- 5,787
- charities filing a full Form 990, 778 spending $1M+
- $6.1B
- spent in their latest year, with $3.9B coming in as gifts and grants
- 27%
- of all that spending by the 10 biggest
The biggest 397 public safety and disaster charities.
| # | Charity | Spending | Program share | Cost to raise $1 | Savings | CEO pay |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Creative Testing Solutions Tempe, AZ · Other · FY 2025 | $433.8M | 92% | – | 4 mo | $1.25M |
| 2 | Network for GoodOur file Washington, DC · Other · FY 2024 | $231.6M | 98% | 1¢ | 1 mo | $350K |
| 3 | Global Empowerment MissionOur file Doral, FL · Other · FY 2024 | $185.8M | 97% | 0¢ | 2 mo | – |
| 4 | United Mission for Relief & DevelopmentOur file Washington, DC · Other · FY 2024 | $150.3M | 97% | 2¢ | 0 mo | $337K |
| 5 | United Way for Southeastern MichiganOur file Detroit, MI · Other · FY 2025 | $115.3M | 92% | 4¢ | 4 mo | $432K |
| 6 | Civil Air PatrolOur file Maxwell Afb, AL · Other · FY 2025 | $103.2M | 74% | 1¢ | 27 mo | – |
| 7 | National Fire Protection Association Quincy, MA · Other · FY 2025 | $98.0M | 58% | 0¢ | 55 mo | $935K |
| 8 | The Breast Cancer Research FoundationOur file New York, NY · Other · FY 2025 | $94.8M | 84% | 10¢ | 17 mo | $695K |
| 9 | University Emergency Medical Buffalo, NY · Other · FY 2025 | $78.3M | 90% | 0¢ | 2 mo | $530K |
| 10 | E4e Relief LLC Charlotte, NC · Other · FY 2025 | $75.7M | 89% | 4¢ | 14 mo | $593K |
| 11 | Hopewest Grand Jct, CO · Other · FY 2025 | $70.2M | 88% | 20¢ | 7 mo | $339K |
| 12 | Icna Relief USA Programs New Hyde Park, NY · Other · FY 2024 | $60.5M | 94% | 4¢ | 3 mo | $110K |
| 13 | National Safety Council Itasca, IL · Other · FY 2025 | $57.4M | 71% | 17¢ | 8 mo | $777K |
| 14 | Retiree Resources Knoxville, TN · Other · FY 2025 | $46.6M | 97% | – | 1 mo | $207K |
| 15 | Soldiers' Angels San Antonio, TX · Other · FY 2025 | $44.8M | 93% | 5¢ | 2 mo | $244K |
| 16 | Earthscope Consortium Washington, DC · Other · FY 2025 | $44.7M | 87% | 0¢ | 1 mo | $312K |
| 17 | Core Community Organized Relief Effort Los Angeles, CA · Other · FY 2024 | $44.3M | 73% | 2¢ | 4 mo | $273K |
| 18 | National Security Technology Accelerator Crane, IN · Other · FY 2024 | $41.8M | 100% | 0¢ | -2 mo | – |
| 19 | Ohio Medical Transportation Columbus, OH · Other · FY 2025 | $41.7M | 100% | 0¢ | 16 mo | $350K |
| 20 | Center for Disaster PhilanthropyOur file Washington, DC · Other · FY 2025 | $39.9M | 91% | 1¢ | 32 mo | $382K |
| 21 | Team Rubicon Los Angeles, CA · Other · FY 2024 | $38.8M | 70% | 11¢ | 13 mo | $335K |
| 22 | Kpmg US Foundation Montvale, NJ · Other · FY 2025 | $36.3M | 100% | 0¢ | -3 mo | – |
| 23 | Airbnborg San Francisco, CA · Other · FY 2025 | $32.3M | 99% | 0¢ | 14 mo | – |
| 24 | The National Registry of Emergency Columbus, OH · Other · FY 2024 | $30.4M | 82% | 0¢ | 9 mo | $306K |
| 25 | Lifeflight of Maine LLC Bangor, ME · Other · FY 2025 | $30.1M | 86% | 26¢ | 15 mo | $257K |
Program share = program expenses ÷ total expenses (Part IX, line 25). Cost to raise $1 = fundraising expenses ÷ contributions (Part IX, Part VIII line 1h). Savings = net assets ÷ annual spending × 12, which includes buildings, endowments and restricted gifts, so zoos and aquariums run high. CEO pay is reportable compensation from the charity (Part VII). “CPA view” moves joint fundraising costs reported on line 26 out of programs. Names link to our file where we have one, otherwise to the filing on ProPublica.
Benchmarks for public safety and disaster.
Medians across 778 charities spending $1M or more. Use them to judge any charity in this cause.
- 92%
- median program share, as reported
- 0¢
- median cost to raise $1, among charities taking in $100K+ in gifts
- 12 mo
- median net assets, in months of spending
| Annual spending | Charities | Median CEO pay | Median program share |
|---|---|---|---|
| $1–5M | 646 | $116K | 93% |
| $5–25M | 100 | $241K | 91% |
| $25–100M | 25 | $361K | 88% |
| $100M+ | 7 | $432K | 92% |
The yes-or-no answers.
Counts of public safety and disaster charities answering “yes” (or failing a basic check) in their latest Form 990. The charities answer these themselves.
charities told the IRS they discovered a significant diversion of assets (theft, embezzlement or misuse).
charities reported a paid fundraiser that kept half or more of what it raised.
charities reported an excess benefit transaction with an insider.
charities had $2M+ in revenue and no audited financial statements.
charities had $1M+ in revenue and no conflict-of-interest policy.
charities reported loans to or from officers or directors.
A “yes” is a reason to read the filing, not a verdict. Learn what each answer means in how to check a charity, and see how we read a 990.
Every public safety and disaster charity we cover.
Questions about public safety and disaster charities.
What is the largest public safety and disaster charity?
By spending, Creative Testing Solutions (AZ), at $433.8M in its fiscal year ending 2025, per its Form 990.
How much do public safety and disaster charity CEOs make?
The median CEO of a public safety and disaster charity spending $1–5M a year was paid $116K. At charities spending $100M or more, the median was $432K. Figures are reportable compensation from the charity, Form 990 Part VII.
What percentage of donations to public safety and disaster charities goes to programs?
The median public safety and disaster charity spending $1M or more reported 92% of its spending on programs, on Form 990 Part IX. That is the charity's own split. Some charities count part of their fundraising mail as program work; our pages show the number both ways.
How many public safety and disaster charities are there?
5,787 public safety and disaster organizations filed a full Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, 778 of them spending $1 million or more. Thousands more file the short 990-EZ or the 990-N postcard.
Where this comes from.
Each charity's latest Form 990 in the IRS's 2025 and 2026 e-file releases, joined to the IRS Exempt Organizations Business Master File for its NTEE cause code. Organizations that file as charities but aren't funded like one (research contractors, sports bodies and similar) are left out of the comparison table. Charities that file a 990-EZ or 990-N aren't included. Figures are as filed; we haven't reviewed each one, except where a charity has our full file.
Charity Math, “Public safety and disaster charities, by the numbers,” data as of 2026-11-07. https://charitymath.com/causes/public-safety-and-disaster/