Tearfund Ireland

What Tearfund Ireland does

Tearfund Ireland is a Christian international development and relief charity registered in Ireland, founded in 2008 and headquartered at Ulysses House, Foley Street, Dublin 1. It operates as a company limited by guarantee (No. 323619) and a registered charity (CRA 20021337) with a small team of 16 staff split between Dublin and Addis Ababa. The organisation is one of nine members of the global Tearfund Family and works through local church-based implementing partners in three programme countries: Ethiopia, Cambodia, and Lebanon. Its programmes focus on Self Help Groups for women's economic empowerment in Ethiopia, humanitarian relief for Syrian refugees in Lebanon, and care reform / orphanage-trafficking prevention in Cambodia.

The organisation's revenue model is donation-driven rather than commercial. It generates income from individual one-off and recurring direct-debit donations, Irish church partnerships and mission giving, tax-efficient giving under Ireland's CHY3 scheme, legacies and bequests, a Living Gifts e-commerce alternative-gifting platform (€20–€400 items), and Irish Aid co-funding of its Development Education programme. The digital stack supporting these flows is conventional: ECWID by Lightspeed for payments, HubSpot and Adobe/Google Analytics for supporter engagement, Cloudflare for security, and Termly for consent management. There is no public-facing API, no proprietary technology product, and no AI capability disclosed.

Tearfund Ireland's go-to-market is relationship-led and content-driven, targeting Irish Christians through church partnerships, the Living Gifts store, email learning journeys, an annual Pedal Against Poverty cycling fundraiser, blog and newsletter content, and free development-education resources for schools, youth groups, and congregations. Internationally, programmes are delivered indirectly through local church partners rather than directly employed staff. The organisation is a signatory to the Core Humanitarian Standard, the Dóchas Charter, the Comhlámh Code, the Irish Emergency Alliance, and Irish Aid governance frameworks, supporting its institutional credibility.

Name

Tearfund Ireland

Legal name

Tearfund Ireland

Website

https://tearfund.ie

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tearfund Ireland is a Dublin-based Christian international development charity that raises funds from Irish donors and churches to support community programmes delivered through local church partners in Ethiopia, Cambodia, and Lebanon, alongside Irish development-education work co-funded by Irish Aid.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development and Humanitarian Relief Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based Humanitarian Aid & Relief Ministries (BPAGAJAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• International development programmes
• Humanitarian relief services
• Community development partnerships
• Charitable donation platform
• Development education resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Dublin

HQ country

Ireland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations (One-Off and Recurring): Individual donors make one-off or monthly donations via the website, direct debit, or church giving programmes. Donations can be directed to specific areas (e.g. Ethiopia Self Help Groups, Lebanon/Syrian Refugees, Cambodia Vulnerable Children, Emergency Response) or to where the need is greatest.
2. Church Partnerships: Irish churches partner with Tearfund Ireland as their missions organisation, providing regular financial support through annual tithes or international missions programmes. Churches also host fundraising events, speaker engagements, and seminars.
3. Tax-Efficient Giving (CHY3 Scheme): Donors who give €250 or more in a calendar year can allow Tearfund Ireland to reclaim tax paid on the donation, effectively increasing the value of the gift by up to approximately 45% at no additional cost to the donor.
4. Living Gifts (E-commerce Store): The Living Gifts store allows donors to purchase specific items (e.g. beehives, agricultural training, hygiene kits, emergency packs) as gifts for friends/family, with proceeds supporting the corresponding programme. Prices range from €20 to €400+ per item.
5. Legacies / Bequests: Supporters are encouraged to leave a gift in their will to Tearfund Ireland, providing a lasting contribution after their death.
6. Irish Aid Funding: Tearfund Ireland's Development Education programme is part-funded by Irish Aid, the Irish government's overseas development assistance programme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Tearfund Ireland is a Christian international development and relief charity that raises funds in Ireland through individual donations, church partnerships, and a Living Gifts e-commerce store, and channels those funds to local church-based implementing partners delivering Self Help Group economic empowerment in Ethiopia, refugee support and humanitarian relief in Lebanon, and care reform / trafficking prevention programmes for vulnerable children in Cambodia. It also runs an Irish Aid part-funded Development Education programme that produces resources, workshops, and learning journeys for Irish churches, youth groups, and the wider public.

Product overview

Tearfund Ireland operates primarily as a charitable organization rather than a technology product company. Its digital offerings center on donation collection and engagement tools: the Living Gifts e-commerce platform (built on ECWID by Lightspeed) for purchasing charitable gifts; a Donation Portal offering direct debit, one-off, monthly, and legacy giving options; and educational programs including Learning Journeys (email series) and a Development Education program. Church Resources provides supplementary materials. The organization lacks any API, AI capabilities, or developer-facing integrations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Living Gifts: Alternative gifting programme allowing donors to give gifts to family and friends that make a lasting impression on those in greatest need.
• Small But Mighty Campaign
• Pedal Against Poverty

Products and services

• Living Gifts An alternative gifting e-commerce store operated by Tearfund Ireland that allows donors to purchase country-themed charitable gifts (e.g. family tracing, trafficking prevention, emergency kits, beekeeping, agricultural training) priced from €20 to €400+ per item, with proceeds funding corresponding programmes in Ethiopia, Lebanon, and Cambodia.
• Online Donation Portal An online donation portal enabling one-off gifts, recurring monthly direct debit subscriptions, tax-efficient CHY3 giving for donations of €250+, and legacy bequests, with donors able to direct funds to specific appeals (Ethiopia Self Help Groups, Lebanon/Syrian Refugees, Cambodia Vulnerable Children, Emergency Response, Pedal Against Poverty, etc.) or to where the need is greatest.
• Development Education Programme Irish Aid part-funded Development Education programme providing free workshops, webinars, resources, and learning materials to Irish churches, youth groups, schools, and congregations on global justice topics including climate justice, refugee awareness, sustainable living, alternative care, and global citizenship.
• International Development Programmes (Ethiopia, Lebanon, Cambodia) Programme portfolio delivered via local church-based implementing partners covering Self Help Group economic empowerment and food security in Ethiopia, refugee support and humanitarian relief in Lebanon, and family tracing, care leaver support, and orphanage trafficking prevention in Cambodia. Funded through donations and grants.
• Pedal Against Poverty Fundraising Event Annual cycling fundraising event with multiple route options where supporters create personal challenges and raise sponsorship funds for Tearfund Ireland's poverty and injustice programmes.

Quantifiable outcome

• Mercy Coffee grew from a corridor stall to a dedicated shop, tripled in size, and employs 15 people with doubled revenue (Mihret's Story, Ethiopia, 2024)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Tearfund (UK/Global)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTearfund Ireland is one of nine Tearfund organisations worldwide (Tearfund Australia, Belgium, Canada, SEL France, Germany, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, UK) that voluntarily relate together as the Tearfund Family. They share a common identity, values, reputational standards, and roadmap for closer collaboration. Tearfund UK is particularly referenced as a former employer of Tearfund Ireland staff.
• Irish Emergency AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTearfund Ireland is a member of the Irish Emergency Alliance, a consortium of Irish humanitarian organisations that coordinate emergency response and fundraising.
• ComhlámhminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTearfund Ireland is a Solidarity Partner of Comhlámh, supporting its Code of Good Practice for Development Education and Irish Volunteer Sending Agencies. Tearfund Ireland co-convenes the Comhlámh End Orphanage Volunteering Working Group and is a member of the Rethink Orphanages Global Community of Practice.
• IntegralminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegral is referenced as a partner organisation in Tearfund Ireland's alliance logos section, indicating alignment on shared standards or collaborative work.
• MicahminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMicah is referenced as a partner organisation in Tearfund Ireland's alliance logos section, indicating shared values around faith-based development and justice.
• Hope and Homes for ChildrenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHope and Homes for Children is an international charity working to eliminate the institutional care of children. Stephen Ucembe, a care reform expert who grew up in an orphanage in Kenya, serves as Regional Advocacy Manager with the organisation. Tearfund Ireland collaborates with Hope and Homes on orphanage system reform and awareness raising.
• Faith to Action InitiativeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Faith to Action Initiative is a coalition of organisations focused on promoting best practices in care for orphans and vulnerable children. Stephen Ucembe serves as an advisor to this coalition. Tearfund Ireland's Rethinking How We Care resources are adapted from Faith to Action Initiative resources with permission.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Tearfund UK: The largest and originating member of the Tearfund Family of nine organisations. Tearfund UK shares Tearfund Ireland's faith-based ethos, programmatic focus on poverty, humanitarian relief, and advocacy, and provides shared quality standards and reputational frameworks to Tearfund Ireland. They operate as stand-alone legal entities but collaborate closely.
• Trócaire: Irish Catholic international development agency, the largest INGO in Ireland, working on poverty, human rights, and humanitarian response across the developing world. Directly comparable as a faith-based Irish INGO raising funds domestically and implementing programmes overseas, though at significantly larger scale.
• Tearfund Australia: Australian member of the Tearfund Family. Operates as a sister organisation with the same brand, programmatic framework, and ethos as Tearfund Ireland, providing a directly comparable model of a mid-sized Tearfund affiliate raising funds domestically and channelling to international programmes.
• Self Help Africa: Irish development INGO focused on sustainable agriculture and economic empowerment in sub-Saharan Africa. Closely comparable in programmatic focus (Self Help Groups, African delivery, Irish funding base) and in scale, providing the most direct mid-sized INGO peer for Tearfund Ireland.
• GOAL: Irish humanitarian INGO working in emergency response and long-term development across Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Closely comparable in Irish fundraising context, humanitarian response portfolio (including Lebanon refugee work), and mid-sized INGO operational model.
• Christian Aid: UK-based ecumenical Christian INGO working on poverty and injustice globally. Directly comparable as a faith-based development organisation with similar programmatic portfolio (humanitarian response, advocacy, economic empowerment) and shared Christian identity-based supporter mobilisation model.
• Concern Worldwide: Major Irish humanitarian INGO tackling extreme poverty in 23 countries. Comparable in mission (poverty eradication, humanitarian response) and Irish fundraising base, though secular and substantially larger; serves as a benchmark for the upper bound of the Irish INGO peer set.
• World Vision Ireland: Irish affiliate of World Vision International, a major faith-based child-focused INGO. Comparable in faith-based identity, child welfare programming (including care reform and family strengthening in Cambodia), and Irish church-aligned fundraising approach.

Others

• Comhlámh: Irish association for development workers and INGOs, of which Tearfund Ireland is a Solidarity Partner. While not a direct competitor, Comhlámh is a relevant peer as the umbrella body shaping Irish INGO standards (Code of Good Practice, End Orphanage Volunteering Working Group which Tearfund Ireland co-convenes).
• Micah Global: Global coalition of Christian relief, development, and justice organisations. Tearfund Ireland is affiliated through its alliance logos. Comparable as a faith-based development coalition and a potential partner/convening body for shared advocacy on global poverty and injustice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@tearfundireland/videos
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tearfund-ireland

Compliance11 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 Ireland