The Russian Children's Welfare Society ("RCWS") has been helping disadvantaged Russian children in Europe, South America and Russia since its establishment in New York City in 1926. The oldest charity devoted to this cause, the RCWS has, since it is inception, distributed over $12 million in grants. The Society has sufficient capital to allow its modest overhead to be more than covered, allowing all donations it receives to be used toward programs in Russia - to help children in need.
As the flow of Russian immigrants slowed, the RCWS refocused its mission to address the dire condition of vulnerable children in Russia. Following the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, Russia's infrastructure has been in transition, placing children at risk. As a result, hundreds of thousands of children need our help. Too many children in too many parts of Russia are without adequate medical attention, education, vocational training and basic care.
The statistics are alarming. The death to birth ratio of 1.7 to 1, is one of the highest in the world. Despite a very high rate of abortions (that recently have exceeded births), the number of children in orphanages has increased over the past 4 years from approximately 500,000 to well over 700,000. According to Russian government statistics, there are approximately 2.5 million homeless children and 617,000 disabled children. Teenage drug abuse has risen sharply as well, with 4 million users and a rapidly growing percentage of these teens seriously addicted.
Given such great need, the Russian
Children's Welfare Society now directs
most of its yearly aid to children
in Russia by funding:
See our grant
recipients list for further information.
