WE Charity’s mission is to empower people to change the world, locally and globally, achieving transformative outcomes for themselves and others. Founded in 1995 as an advocacy organization targeting child labor worldwide, WE Charity has since grown into an international movement. WE is a bilingual organization (English and French) with 1000+ full-time employees globally supporting its mission of making doing good, doable. Locally, the organization works towards this mission through WE Schools: a free experiential service-learning program, active in more than 18,000 K-12 schools and groups across North America and the UK. WE Schools empower youth to take part in positive social change by challenging them to identify the local and global issues that spark their passion, and equips them with the tools to take action. The program increases academic engagement, improves workplace/college readiness, and instills active citizenship.
Internationally, WE Charity supports communities in developing countries (Kenya, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Sierra Leone, Ecuador, Haiti, Nicaragua, India, and rural China) to help lift them out of poverty with its sustainable development model, WE Villages. Working together with local leaders, governments, families, and communities, the organization transforms lives through five pillars of impact: education, water, food, health, and opportunity. This holistic model is designed to meet community needs and create lasting impacts to reach a point where communities are self-sufficient within five to seven years.
Youth from developed countries have untapped potential to address inequalities affecting their peers in developing countries, Craig Keilburger discovered this first hand as a young child when he learnt about child labor abuses in India.
Free the Children builds relationships with schools, supporting action campaigns that touch every aspect of a young person’s life.
Craig and Marc Kielburger lead a movement of young change makers committed to making a difference.
More than 2 million young people from North America and the United Kingdom have taken action.
WE Charity makes doing good, doable. The organization is unique in that it operates collaboratively with two key programs, WE Schools and WE Villages, ensuring a well-rounded approach is taken to ensure long-term sustainable change.
Program Growth
WE Charity leverages technology to reach more young people globally, while providing high quality, innovative, and accessible programming. Through virtual outreach, WE Charity will break down the barriers of geography, creating a universal offering and connecting youth to further enhance and enrich their educational experiences.
Co-Founder, WE
Co-Founder, WE
In 1995, when Craig Kielburger was only 12 years old, he was shocked by a newspaper article he read on the murder of a child laborer turned child rights activist. Eager to take action, Craig enlisted the help of his older brother Marc, and together they established Kids Can Free the Children (which became Free the Children and is now known as WE), with the determination to help fight poverty, exploitation, and powerlessness by empowering and engaging children in the Western world.
Craig is the youngest graduate from the Kellogg-Schulich Executive MBA program. He has also received 15 honorary doctorates and degrees for his work in the fields of education and human rights. Craig is a New York Times bestselling author, who has published 12 books, as well as a nationally syndicated columnist. Craig has received The Order of Canada, the Nelson Mandela Freedom Medal and the World Children’s Prize. He was recently voted by Canadians as one of Canada’s topmost trusted influencers in a Readers Digest poll.
Marc graduated from Harvard University with a degree in International Relations. He won a Rhodes Scholarship and completed a law degree from Oxford University. He has also received 10 honorary doctorates and degrees for his work in the fields of education and human rights. Marc is a New York Times bestselling author, who has published eight books, as well as a nationally syndicated columnist. He is the recipient of numerous honors, including the Order of Canada, and was selected by the World Economic Forum as one of the world’s Young Global Leaders. Marc was also recently inducted into Canada’s Walk of Fame for his humanitarian efforts and his work to empower youth to change the world. In 2015, along with his brother Craig, he was named Canada’s Most Admired CEO in the public sector.
Craig and Marc have both stepped down from the day-to-day management of WE and have founded the related for-profit social enterprise Me to We which provides socially responsible goods. They both continue to serve as volunteer ambassadors for WE.
*The total SIV is the sum of dollars raised, the value of youth volunteerism, and the value of local food collections.
