What is the World Largest Social Service Organizations?

Answer 1

From available information, the combined efforts of the international Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies probably represents the largest social service organization. Many of the members, however, are so closely linked to their national governments that they may not qualify as private organizations in the way we think of them in the United States.

In terms of strictly private organizations, and considering only the social service activities, the combined efforts of social service efforts united institutionally in the Catholic Church would make the largest social service organization in terms of total dollars spent and geographic reach. Protestant churches, with World Vision as the largest expression of a global institutional social service effort, would probably be second. Since these efforts are not united in the same way that Catholic services are, one could argue that other organizations represent a single social service organization that is larger than any of the specific efforts of the Protestant community.

I am replacing the previous answer - "#1 The Salvation Army" - because it is not possible to evaluate. The Salvation Army does not publish financial statements in the same way that World Vision, Catholic Relief Services, CARE, Catholic Charities, the American Red Cross and other social service organizations do. It also does not separate social services from other purely religious activities, financially or otherwise, so the basis of comparison with other religious organizations would have to compare total reach. In that case, the Catholic Church would clearly be larger than the Salvation Army along all measures of size.