[2] With its incorporation, the Society was charged with administering private charity in the City of Chicago and was authorized to receive appropriations from the city,[3] In addition to providing fuel, food, and other necessities the Society worked to find employment for those it helped.
In weeks and months following the Fire, the Society provided a great deal of aid to the city's residents.
The Society raised over $5 million from sources around the world to provide food, clothing, water, and fuel.
During the Panic of 1893 and its aftermath, the Chicago Relief and Aid Society came under criticism for its efforts to help the poor.
It was the contention of the Society that poverty was a moral issue rather than an economic or social problem and as a result, a competing organization, the Central Relief Association, was formed as an alternative for helping those living in poverty in Chicago.