Founded in 1947 as a Catholic aid organisation for war refugees and recognised as a Pontifical Foundation since 2011, Aid to the Church in Need is dedicated to the service of Christians around the world, through information, prayer and action, wherever they are persecuted or oppressed or suffering material need.

ACN supports every year an average of 6.000 projects in close to 150 countries, thanks to private donations, as the foundation receives no public funding.