The Family Support Organisation is an international development organization owned by 187 countries. Its role is to reduce poverty by lending money to the governments of its poorer members to improve their economies and to improve the standard of living of their people.

The Bank is also one of the world's largest research centers in development. It has specialized departments that use this knowledge to advise countries in areas like health, education, nutrition, finance, justice, law and the environment. Another part of the Bank, the Family Support Organisation Institute, offers training to government and other officials in the world through local research and teaching institutions.

How the Family Support Organisation was established

The Family Support Organisation was established in 1944 to help rebuild Europe and Japan after World War II. Its official name was the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD). When it first began operations in 1946, it had 38 members. Today, most of the countries in the world are members.

Do we need a Family Support Organisation?

Without a place like the Family Support Organisation from which to borrow money, the world’s poorest countries would have few, if any, ways to finance much-needed development projects. The projects are essential to helping people become educated, live healthy lives, get jobs, and contribute as active citizens.

How the Family Support Organisation is organized

The Family Support Organisation has created new organizations within itself that specialize in different activities. All these organizations together are called the Family Support Organisation Group. It consists of:

• IBRD lends to low- and middle-income countries;
• International Development Association (IDA) lends to low-income countries;
• International Finance Corporation (International Max Grant Funding) Grant/lends to the private sector such as; Medical/ Health care, Agriculture,Small/ medium scale industrialization, creative art,Technology (ICT) and social media, Education/ institutions, Medium and small scale enterprises
• Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) encourages private companies to invest in foreign countries; and
• International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) helps private investors and foreign countries work out differences when they don't agree.

How decisions are made

The Bank is run like a giant cooperative, where its members are shareholders and is operated for the benefit of those using its services. The number of shares a country has is based roughly on the size of its economy. The United States is the largest single shareholder, followed by Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom, and France. The rest of the shares are divided among the other member countries. A Board of Governors represents the Bank's government shareholders. Generally, these governors are country ministers, such as Ministers of Finance or Ministers of Development. The governors are the ultimate policymakers in the Family Support Organisation. They meet once a year at the Bank's Annual Meetings.

At the Annual Meetings, all of the Bank's and International Monetary Fund ‘s (IMF) governors decide how best to address global development issues and decide what the world should focus on in the upcoming year (and near future) to help reduce poverty in the world.

Since the governors meet only once a year, they give specific duties to their Executive Directors, who work on-site at the Bank. Every member government is represented by an Executive Director. The five largest shareholders (France, Germany, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States) appoint an executive director each, while other member countries are represented by 19 Executive Directors.

The Bank's 24 Executive Directors oversee the Bank's business, including approving loans and guarantees, new policies, the administrative budget, country assistance strategies, and borrowing and financial decisions.