Our history of helping those in need dates back to 1898, when the friars of the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy instituted the first charitable organization to distribute bread, firewood and clothing to the poor.
Join with us today. You can make a lasting difference!
Support our St Anthony’s Charities Annual Appeal so we can continue to provide vital resources to vulnerable children and their families in need to escape what is often a generational cycle of poverty. Donate to children and families in need today and be part of the change.
Your tax-deductible donation helps children and families living in poverty around the world. Your monthly donation helps a child in crisis, but it actually benefits the child’s entire family
Sponsor a 2025 St Anthony’s Charities Project and:
- Children and their families will receive nutritious food, medical services, educational tutoring, clean water, extracurricular activities, and service opportunities.
- Adolescents will receive vocational training in carpentry, tailoring, so they can help the family and prepare for their future.
- Parents will participate in job training classes and have access to income-generation training.
St Anthony’s Charities
A Lifeline for Families in Crisis around the World
Charity Beyond National Borders
Every year the Franciscan Friars award grants to facilitate people’s development to the point where they are empowered to take care of themselves. To this end, we provide support to those religious brothers, sisters, and other nonprofit organizations that work with the poorest of the poor (domestically and worldwide) to meet their basic human needs.
We fund sustainable projects that provide children with adequate care and value-based education, youth with employment opportunities, and women with means to gain social and economic empowerment; and work closely together with other organizations in order to build a just, hopeful, and sustainable society.
You have our assurance that projects are thoroughly vetted before funding approval. We exercise due diligence to ensure that grantees are in compliance with specific legal and regulatory rules. Sponsor one of our 2026 St Anthony’s Charities Project today!
St. Anthony’s Charities – U.S.A. Our 2026 Projects
Faith and Service
Our history of helping those in need dates back to 1898, when the friars of the Basilica of St. Anthony in Padua, Italy instituted the first charitable organization to distribute bread, firewood and clothing to the poor.
Gradually, a new idea of charity began to evolve among the friars, a charity aimed at relieving victims of natural disasters or victims of social and political crises. Immediate, simple assistance was with time replaced by development projects, and national charitable projects gradually extended beyond Italian national borders. Following our Christian beliefs, the Franciscan Friars are committed to working with the world’s most needy regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender.
We exist to show a caring face to a hurting world. We believe that as Christians and Franciscans, we have a responsibility to reach out to these people and make a difference.
Our emphasis is with those in greatest need – but we go far beyond providing just financial resources. We focus on capacity building that helps those in need to become thriving, sustainable communities, and families. Our vision is to work with people in need to help them find a way to solve their dilemmas.