Tearfund: The Christian Charity Working to End Extreme Poverty
Updated: 3 days ago
Tearfund is a UK-based Christian charity that works with local churches and community organisations in more than 50 countries to tackle extreme poverty and injustice. It began in 1968 as a relief fund set up by the Evangelical Alliance, became a registered charity in 1973, and says it has worked with more than 3.3 million people.
Tearfund is one of the best-known Christian charities in the UK, and its name turns up on church notice sheets, harvest appeals and emergency appeals. If you have wondered what Tearfund actually does, who started it, how it is run and whether it is a wise place to give, this guide answers each question plainly. We read the charity’s own pages on its work, history, impact, theology and annual report, alongside independent sources, and we say where a figure is the charity’s own and where Christians see things differently.
This post is about the organisation itself. For another UK charity with church roots, see our guide to What Is Christian Aid?, and for a wider list of organisations see our 10 trusted Christian charities. Scripture is quoted from the NIV. The images on this page are illustrations made for this article, not photographs of Tearfund projects. Last reviewed on 22 October 2026, when every source named below was opened and read.
What this guide covers
What Tearfund is and what it believes
Where Tearfund came from, and who started it
What it does, and why it works through local churches
The results it reports, and how to read them
What the Bible says about caring for people in poverty
How to check Tearfund, or any charity, before you give
Where Christians differ, and how to support the work wisely
What is Tearfund?
Tearfund describes itself as a Christian charity working in more than 50 countries where conflict, climate disaster and injustice push millions of people into extreme poverty. On its about page, it says it has worked with more than 3.3 million of the world’s most marginalised people to help them move out of poverty for good.
The charity describes the scale of the problem like this: more than 830 million people wake up in extreme poverty every day, living on less than £2.20 a day. That is Tearfund’s own figure, so treat it as the charity’s framing and not an independent count.
Its stated mission is to follow Jesus where the need is greatest, responding to crises and partnering with local churches and organisations to help people lift themselves out of poverty. Its vision is to see people freed from poverty, living transformed lives and fulfilling their God-given potential. On its vision and values page it names five values: Christ-centred, compassionate, courageous, truthful and servant-hearted.
Tearfund is a registered charity in England and Wales (265464) and in Scotland (SC037624), according to the footer of its website. It also says it has been certified since 2016 against the Core Humanitarian Standard by the independent body HQAI, for its humanitarian, development and advocacy work.
Where did Tearfund come from?
Tearfund began with gifts. According to a history published by the Evangelical Alliance, money was sent to the Alliance in the 1960s in response to a refugee crisis, and the gifts kept coming from Christians across the country. The Alliance employed George Hoffman, a former curate, to develop the work of the fund. In 1968 he and others met for the first time as The Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund, shortened to TEARFUND. In 1973 it became a registered charity.
Wikipedia’s account adds some detail, though the article itself carries a warning that it leans heavily on the charity’s own sources, so we treat it as a guide to dates and not the last word. It says the money was first passed to existing aid agencies before the Alliance launched a new organisation, and that Tearfund first worked overseas itself in 1972, in hospitals, clinics and feeding camps in Bangladesh. John Stott was its first International President. In 1994 it set up a disaster response unit, and the first disaster it responded to was the aftermath of the Rwandan genocide. It later became a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee, the group of UK aid charities that launches joint emergency appeals.
Sources differ slightly on dates. Wikipedia’s summary box gives 1971 as the year of formation, while the Evangelical Alliance and the charity’s own pages point to 1968 for the launch and 1973 for registration. We use 1968 and 1973. The charity marked its 50th anniversary in 2018. Some early projects have also ended: Wikipedia reports that its fair trade arm, Tearcraft, was wound up in 2015, and that a child sponsorship scheme begun in 1974 closed in 1999.
What does Tearfund do?
Tearfund says it responds to extreme poverty “just as Jesus shows us”, by going to the world’s most marginalised and exploited people and showing love through action. Its what we do page describes two layers of work.
First, it helps people meet urgent needs such as food, clean water and safety. Second, it helps people move beyond everyday survival so they can build the future they want for themselves and their community. It says every project is led by the people it serves, and that it works alongside communities over the long term through local churches and community organisations.
The charity lists eight key areas of focus:
Advocacy: changing policies and practices to address the root causes of poverty at local, national and global level.
Transforming Communities through the local church: equipping local churches to lead lasting change with local solutions.
Disasters and crises: preventing and responding to disasters by reducing risks and getting support quickly to people in need.
Economic empowerment: helping the most vulnerable people take part equally in society and increase their income.
Environment and climate: supporting people affected by the climate crisis and working towards living within environmental limits.
Peacebuilding: equipping peacebuilders, churches and communities to prevent and respond to conflict.
Sexual and gender-based violence: protecting and standing up for the rights of women and girls, and promoting healthy relationships.
Water, sanitation and hygiene: supporting communities with clean water, safe sanitation and healthy hygiene habits.
What results does Tearfund report?
Charities are best judged on what they report, how they measure it and whether the numbers can be checked. Tearfund’s annual report page gives these headline figures for 2025 to 2026:
2.04 million people reached directly through its projects
19,384 new churches mobilised as transformation centres, which it says impacted 5.7 million individuals
1.16 million people reached in humanitarian responses funded by Tearfund
55 public policies and practices changed through its influence
257 partners and allies across 46 countries collaborating with it
Its impact page adds a longer view. Over the past ten years it says it has reached more than 34 million people through its projects, and that more than 14 million of them benefitted from life-saving assistance. It describes its work as active in more than 63,000 communities across Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
A few cautions help here. These are the charity’s own figures, and “reached” measures contact, not a guarantee of lasting change. The charity also uses different counts in different places: its about page speaks of more than 3.3 million people worked with, while the annual report page says 2.04 million were reached directly. They are likely to measure different things, so open the full annual report for the definitions before you quote either number. The report page also shows a headline of 69.2 million “received to transform lives around the world” without stating a currency, so we have not treated it as a pound figure. For an outside reference point, Wikipedia gives the charity’s income as £85 million for the year to 31 March 2023, though that is a secondary source and now out of date.
Why does Tearfund work through local churches?
Tearfund’s answer is practical and theological. Practically, it says local churches and community organisations know their communities best and understand the causes of poverty and how those causes shape people’s lives. The Disasters Emergency Committee, which lists Tearfund as a member, quotes the charity saying that when disaster strikes, it and its local partners are usually already present, working in those very places.
Theologically, the annual report page describes the church as God’s “Plan A” to bring transformation and restore hope. In the Evangelical Alliance’s 2018 anniversary interview, the then chief executive Nigel Harris made the same case: churches are in some of the hardest to reach places, they know the people and the problems, and so often they can see “simple, inexpensive solutions”. That is the view of the charity’s own leader in a publication from the organisation that founded it, so it is worth reading as an explanation of the model and not as an independent verdict on it.
The model has a consequence worth understanding. Wikipedia reports that Tearfund states it offers its support regardless of race or religious affiliation, but that it does the work largely through local Christian churches and other Christian partner organisations. We return to how Christians weigh that below.
What does Tearfund believe causes poverty?
Tearfund’s theology page says poverty is not God’s plan. It argues that poverty springs from broken relationships and human behaviour. It points to the first chapters of Genesis, where God, humanity and creation live in harmony, and to the fall in Genesis 3, after which relationships are damaged in four ways: with God, with ourselves, with others and with creation.
The charity ties this to the dignity of every person. Genesis 1:27 (NIV) says, “So God created mankind in his own image”. On that reading, a person who is pushed into poverty or violence has lost something they were never meant to lose. Tearfund then points to the hope in the New Testament: through Jesus, God is at work to restore the broken relationships. Colossians 1:20 (NIV) speaks of God’s purpose “to reconcile to himself all things”, and the charity reads that as including how neighbours treat one another and how people treat the earth.
You do not have to share every part of that analysis to benefit from it. Many Christians would add that poverty also has structural and political causes, such as conflict, debt and unfair trade, which is why Tearfund also campaigns, as we describe later.
What does the Bible say about caring for people in poverty?
Tearfund describes its work as a response to Scripture, so it helps to read the passages for yourself. A few of the best known are below, with NIV wording checked against the text on Bible Gateway.
Micah 6:8: justice, mercy and humility
The prophet asks what the Lord requires and answers: “To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.” Justice and mercy sit side by side. Giving to relieve need is mercy, and changing the conditions that cause the need is justice. Many charities, Tearfund among them, try to do both.
Proverbs 14:31: how we treat the poor reflects how we see God
“Whoever oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker, but whoever is kind to the needy honors God.” The proverb links everyday kindness to worship. It does not say that the poor deserve help only if they share our faith.
Isaiah 58:10: a fast that feeds the hungry
Isaiah tells people whose religious practice has become empty that God wants something more: “if you spend yourselves in behalf of the hungry and satisfy the needs of the oppressed, then your light will rise in the darkness”. Prayer and generosity belong together.
Matthew 25:40 and Luke 4:18: Jesus and the poor
In the parable of the sheep and the goats, the King says, “whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me”. At Nazareth Jesus reads from Isaiah: “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor.” Tearfund’s habit of speaking about “love through action” draws on both.
2 Corinthians 9:7: how to give
Paul gives a simple rule for the spirit of giving: “Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” Notice that it is a decision made in the heart, which fits the careful, unhurried approach in this guide.
For more on what Scripture says about generosity, see our guides to Bible verses about giving, tithing in the Bible, biblical stewardship and what the Bible says about money.
Where do Christians differ about Tearfund’s approach?
Christians who admire the charity still ask different questions about it. Here are the main ones, set out fairly.
Working through Christian partners. Supporters see this as the strength of the model: local churches are trusted, permanent and already in place. Others ask whether aid should be delivered through the same channels regardless of a community’s faith. Wikipedia records that Richard Adams, who founded Tearfund’s fair trade arm Tearcraft, left because he was unhappy that it worked only with evangelical Christian organisations overseas. He went on to help found Traidcraft and the Fairtrade Foundation. Tearfund states that it offers support regardless of race or religion, and you can judge for yourself how that sits with its partnership model.
Aid and campaigning. Tearfund campaigns as well as delivers projects. Its advocacy has included the Jubilee 2000 debt campaign, Make Poverty History, and more recent work on climate change and plastic pollution, according to Wikipedia. Some Christians see this as faithful to the prophets, who spoke to rulers about justice. Others would rather their giving went only to direct relief. Neither view is unbiblical, and a charity that does both should tell you how it divides its spending.
Relief or long-term change. The charity says it wants not just to respond to poverty but to help end it. Some supporters prefer to give to emergencies, where the need is visible. Others prefer steady monthly giving for long-term development. You can do both.
Local church or wider charity. Many Christians give first to their own church and to missionaries they know personally. Others spread their giving across several organisations. The New Testament leaves room for both, as our guide to Christian stewardship explains.
How can you check Tearfund, or any charity, before you give?
A trusted name is a good start, not a finish. These steps work for any charity, and we have applied them to Tearfund.
Look it up on the register. UK charities are listed on the Charity Commission register. Tearfund’s number is 265464 in England and Wales, and you can search for its entry to see its accounts and trustees. Scottish charities are listed with the Scottish Charity Regulator, and Tearfund’s Scottish number is SC037624.
Read the annual report. Tearfund publishes its annual report and accounts on its website. Read the objectives, how income is spent and what the charity says went wrong, not only the highlights.
Look for independent standards. Tearfund says it has been certified since 2016 against the Core Humanitarian Standard by the independent body HQAI. It is also listed as a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee, which brings together 15 UK aid charities for joint emergency appeals.
Ask how money reaches people. Tearfund works through local partners. Its “where your money goes” page was not available when we checked, so ask the charity directly for its latest breakdown of spending before you rely on any percentage you see quoted elsewhere.
Match the gift to your purpose. An emergency appeal funds a specific crisis. A monthly gift supports the charity’s longer work. Decide which you intend before you click.
Use Gift Aid if you are eligible. According to GOV.UK, Gift Aid lets the charity claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give, at no extra cost to you. You must have paid enough tax to cover it.
The checklist is a free printable you can use with any Christian charity, including Tearfund. It is a plain tick-box sheet and is not made or endorsed by Tearfund.
How can you support the work wisely?
Pray.Tearfund lists prayer as one of the ways to get involved on its website, alongside taking action and fundraising. You can pray for its partners and for the communities it serves.
Give regularly if you can. Regular gifts let a charity plan, though you should never give beyond what you can sustain. Our guide to Bible verses about giving looks at what Scripture says about proportion and cheerfulness.
Take part. Tearfund lists events and ways to fundraise on its site, including its Harvest Appeal and a Big Quiz Night. If you give your time or run an event for a charity, check which fundraising rules apply to you.
Learn. Reading about extreme poverty changes how people pray and vote. Tearfund Learn is the charity’s resource hub for people working to end poverty.
Compare. Giving is not a contest, and you may decide to support more than one organisation. Our list of 10 trusted Christian charities is a place to start.
A short prayer before you give
Lord, thank you for what you have given me. Help me to see my neighbours near and far, and to give with a cheerful heart. Guide me to organisations that use gifts honestly and wisely. Bless the people who are working in hard places today, and keep them safe. Make me generous with my time as well as my money. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
What is Tearfund?
Tearfund is a UK-based Christian charity that works with local churches and community organisations in more than 50 countries to tackle extreme poverty and injustice. It began as the Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund in 1968 and became a registered charity in 1973.
Is Tearfund a church?
No. It is a charity that works closely with churches. It does not hold services of its own, but it describes local churches as central to how it works and many UK churches support it.
Who started Tearfund?
The Evangelical Alliance started it. A former curate, George Hoffman, was employed to develop the work of the fund, and the first meeting as the Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund took place in 1968.
Does Tearfund only help Christians?
The charity says it offers support regardless of race or religious affiliation. It does carry out much of its work through local churches and other Christian partners.
Is Tearfund a registered charity?
Yes. It is registered in England and Wales (265464) and in Scotland (SC037624). You can check the entry on the Charity Commission register.
How many people does Tearfund say it reaches?
In its 2025 to 2026 annual report page, Tearfund says it reached 2.04 million people directly through its projects. Elsewhere it says it has worked with more than 3.3 million people. These are the charity’s own figures, so read the full report for definitions.
Can I give to Tearfund through Gift Aid?
If you are a UK taxpayer and the charity offers it, yes. GOV.UK says charities can claim an extra 25p for every £1 you give through Gift Aid. You will be asked to sign a declaration.
Key Takeaways
Tearfund is a UK Christian charity that began in 1968 as a relief fund set up by the Evangelical Alliance.
It works in more than 50 countries, mainly through local churches and community organisations.
It teaches that poverty comes from broken relationships and human behaviour, and that Jesus is restoring them.
The figures in this guide are the charity’s own, so read its annual report for the definitions.
Christians differ on aid through faith partners, on campaigning, and on emergency versus long-term giving.
Check any charity on the Charity Commission register, and use Gift Aid if you can.
If you are weighing where to give, keep reading on Jesus Light Studio: our guides to What Is Christian Aid?, tithing in the Bible and free Christian downloads are a good place to continue.
References and further reading
Tearfund: About us, Our impact, Annual report and Our theology (the charity’s own pages, opened 22 October 2026)
Evangelical Alliance: Transforming through the years (history of Tearfund, 2018)
Disasters Emergency Committee: Tearfund (independent description of the charity and its appeals)
Bible Gateway: NIV (Scripture quoted from the New International Version)
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version, NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
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