Tearfund

What Tearfund does

Tearfund is a UK-registered Christian charity founded in 1968 and headquartered in Teddington, England, that works to alleviate extreme poverty and respond to humanitarian crises in more than 50 countries across Africa, Asia, Latin America, Eurasia, and the Middle East. The organization partners with 27,814 local churches and a network of country-level implementation partners (including the Baptist Convention of Venezuela, Anera in Gaza, and the International Nepal Fellowship) to deliver emergency humanitarian response, long-term community development, and policy advocacy. In 2024/2025 it reached 3.3 million people directly, executed 119 disaster responses across 28 countries, and trained 65,000 people in climate-smart agricultural techniques, reporting that 86p of every pound spent goes to programmatic work.

Its core offerings are organized as crisis appeals (Venezuela Earthquake, Ebola, Middle East, Forgotten Crises, Hunger is Closing In), the World of Difference monthly giving programme, the Transforming Communities church-led development framework, and dedicated programme areas covering Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Economic Empowerment, and gender-based violence prevention. Tearfund does not develop proprietary technology products; its infrastructure is operational and programmatic. A notable programmatic innovation is a parametric drought insurance pilot in Nepal built with Global Parametrics (CelsiusPro Group) and Humanity Insured, which used satellite-derived water-availability triggers to deliver the first drought parametric insurance payout in the country, supporting 671 households in Bajura district. The organization is certified against the Core Humanitarian Standard (re-certified 2024), is a signatory to the Red Cross Code of Conduct, and is a member of the UK Fundraising Regulator.

Tearfund's business model is donation-funded across six streams: individual donations (recurring monthly via World of Difference plus one-time gifts), UK and international church giving, institutional grants from governments and foundations, legacy gifts through wills, Gift Aid tax reclaim, and third-party platform giving via Stewardship, CAF, and Give as You Live. Pricing is presented as suggested donation amounts (ranging from £4/month for a crisis food package to £180 for community irrigation manager training) tied to tangible programmatic outputs. Go-to-market combines direct digital fundraising, UK church and community mobilization (the primary domestic channel), event-based peer-to-peer campaigns (Big Quiz Night, Run for Charity, Big Bake), and DEC-coordinated crisis appeals. The organization employs 1,001-5,000 staff and is led by a Board of Trustees with a Chief Executive, with no parent company or subsidiary structure.

Name

Tearfund

Legal name

Tearfund

Website

https://tearfund.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Tearfund is a UK-registered Christian charity founded in 1968 that responds to humanitarian crises and runs community development programmes in 50+ countries, partnering with 27,814 local churches to reach 3.3 million people in 2024/25 through donations and institutional grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Humanitarian Aid and Development Services

NAICS

Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Humanitarian Health & Emergency Medical Relief NGOs (HLAJAKAE), Faith-Based Social Services & Community Outreach (Food Pantries, Shelters, Counseling) (BPAGAJAG)

Keywords

• Humanitarian aid services
• Poverty alleviation programmes
• Disaster response coordination
• Community development programmes
• Faith-based charity

Headquarters

HQ city

Teddington

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Recurring and one-time donations from individual supporters in the UK and internationally. Monthly donors (World of Difference) provide predictable income. One-time gifts for specific appeals.
2. Church Donations: Tithes, collections, and dedicated gifts from church communities in the UK and globally. Churches partner regularly through prayer and financial support.
3. Institutional Funding: Grants and funding from institutional donors including governments, foundations, and development agencies. Mentioned as 'institutional funding' and 'top 50 partner organisations' receiving grants.
4. Legacy Gifts: Bequests and gifts left in wills by supporters. Promoted as a way to continue supporting Tearfund's mission beyond the donor's lifetime.
5. Gift Aid: UK tax reclaim on eligible donations through the Gift Aid scheme, adding 25% to the value of qualifying donations at no extra cost to donors.
6. Third-Party Platform Giving: Donations processed through Give as You Live (shopping affiliate), Stewardship, and CAF platforms.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Tearfund is a UK-based Christian humanitarian charity that mobilises donations from individual supporters and churches to fund emergency disaster response, long-term community development, and advocacy against the root causes of poverty. Programmes are delivered through a network of 27,814 local churches and partner organisations in 50+ countries, with a portfolio of crisis appeals (Venezuela Earthquake, Ebola, Middle East, Forgotten Crises), the World of Difference monthly giving programme, legacy giving, and thematic programmes in WASH, food security, and economic empowerment.

Product overview

Tearfund operates as a Christian humanitarian organisation offering a portfolio of charitable programmes rather than a unified software product. The core offering includes humanitarian response campaigns (DEC Venezuela Earthquake Appeal, Ebola Crisis Appeal, Middle East Crisis Appeal, Forgotten Crises Appeal), the World of Difference monthly giving programme, and the Transforming Communities development framework. Supporting services include legacy giving, advocacy initiatives, prayer resources, and the Tear Times publication. The organisation does not offer a technology platform or SaaS product with modular components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• World of Difference (Monthly Giving)

Quantifiable outcome

• 3.3 million people reached directly through projects in 2024/2025
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Global Parametrics (CelsiusPro Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026Developed the parametric insurance product that uses satellite data to monitor water availability and releases funding when drought thresholds are reached. This innovative approach enabled the first drought parametric insurance payout in Nepal, supporting 671 households in Bajura district.
• Humanity InsuredcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2026Supported the Nepal drought parametric insurance initiative as part of a pilot programme testing anticipatory finance approaches in climate-affected communities.
• International Nepal FellowshipcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 15 May 2026Local implementation partner in Nepal that delivered emergency food assistance to 671 households following the parametric insurance payout triggered in Bajura district.
• Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTearfund is working as part of the DEC to coordinate humanitarian response to the Venezuela earthquake crisis, combining resources with other member charities for maximum impact.
• Baptist Convention of VenezuelacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerLocal faith-based partner providing emergency food, shelter, medical care, and trauma support in La Guaira, Caracas and surrounding regions following the June earthquakes.
• AneracoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTearfund's partner in Gaza running emergency health clinics and delivering life-saving medical supplies, food and water to tens of thousands of people.
• New WineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTearfund partnership with New Wine throughout 2025 and 2026 for church engagement and mobilisation.
• Local Churches (Middle East)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerChurch partners in Lebanon providing hygiene kits, hot meals, cold weather kits, and disability support to displaced people. Also active in West Bank.
• StewardshipminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party giving platform partner enabling donors to give to Tearfund through their Stewardship accounts.
• CAF (Charities Aid Foundation)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party giving platform enabling charitable donations. Supports both one-time and regular giving.
• Give as You LiveminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorShopping affiliate platform raising money for Tearfund when users shop online.
• Local Churches (Global)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner27,814 local churches in 50+ countries actively engaged in community transformation through Tearfund's Church and Community Transformation programme.
• Run for CharityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership connecting Tearfund supporters with running events across the UK for fundraising purposes.

Scale indicators18 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Christian Aid: UK-based Christian international development charity tackling poverty globally; directly comparable in mission, faith-based positioning, UK donor base, and grassroots partner-led implementation model.
• World Vision UK: Faith-based humanitarian organisation operating in similar geographies with child-focused community development programmes; shares Tearfund's church-partner implementation model and UK fundraising approach.
• CAFOD: Catholic aid agency for England and Wales, directly comparable as another UK faith-rooted development charity working through local partners in similar geographies on poverty, disaster response, and advocacy.
• Islamic Relief Worldwide: Faith-motivated (Islamic) humanitarian NGO headquartered in the UK with global disaster response and development programmes; highly comparable operating model, donor base, and institutional positioning to Tearfund.
• Compassion International: Christian child development organisation using church partners in 25+ countries to deliver programmes; closely comparable church-partner implementation model, sponsorship-based recurring giving, and faith-rooted engagement.
• Habitat for Humanity Great Britain: Faith-inspired housing and community development NGO with church-driven volunteer mobilisation model; comparable in faith-rooted mobilisation, recurring giving, and community transformation methodology.

Broad incumbents

• Mercy Corps: Major secular international humanitarian organisation working across similar geographies and crisis types (DRC, Middle East, Latin America); overlapping functional programme areas (WASH, food security, economic empowerment) at much larger scale.
• Oxfam GB: Larger UK-based international development and emergency response NGO with similar advocacy, WASH, and disaster response activities; comparable in UK fundraising scale but operates on a non-faith platform.
• British Red Cross: UK arm of the International Red Cross movement; comparable in humanitarian emergency response scope, institutional compliance standards, and UK donor base, though with secular positioning.

Others

• Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC): UK umbrella body coordinating appeals across member charities (including Tearfund) for major overseas disasters; ecosystem partner that channels crisis funding through Tearfund's emergency appeals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/tearfund
• Facebookfacebook.com/tearfund
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tearfund
• Instagraminstagram.com/tearfund

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tearfund