Direct Relief provided $2.4 billion in aid in fiscal year 2024 alone. It started with one man sending parcels from his pantry.
Fleeing Fascism
William Zimdin was an Estonian immigrant who had built significant wealth in pre-war Europe. An outspoken critic of Adolf Hitler, Zimdin and his business partner Dennis Karczag were forced to flee as the Nazi party gained power, leaving behind most of their fortune. They reestablished themselves in Santa Barbara, California.
Parcels From a Pantry
After the war, Zimdin received letters from friends, family, and former employees who had survived but were struggling in post-war Europe. He began sending thousands of relief parcels with food, clothing, and medicine from his own home. On August 23, 1948, he formally established the William Zimdin Foundation. After his death in 1951, Karczag continued the work, and the organization became Direct Relief in 1957.
The Most Efficient Model
Today, Direct Relief is ranked the fifth-largest charity in the U.S. by Forbes with a 100 percent efficiency rating. Fundraising costs average just two percent of cash revenue. In fiscal year 2024, the organization made 26,772 deliveries to healthcare providers across 90 countries. Zimdin's instinct to send help directly where it was needed evolved into one of the most effective humanitarian supply chains in the world.
Learn more on our Direct Relief page.
