List: 50 Largest Relief and Development Organizations

Source: Ministry Watch

Christians have long been on the frontlines of relief and development efforts. So it’s no surprise that among the largest [US-based] relief and development agencies are Christian ministries. Two of them, World Vision and Compassion International, top $1 billion in revenue.

This list should not be interpreted as a list of recommended ministries. They are ranked by total revenue, and not by ministry effectiveness, financial efficiency, or any other measure. A comparison of this year’s list to last year’s list reveals a few differences. Here are a few of them.

  • The total revenue of the 50 ministries on this list tops US$8.2 billion.
  • Most of the ministries have grown significantly. World vision grew by US$200 million.
  • Last year, annual revenue of US$3 million would land you on this list. This year, it took US$5 million in revenue to make it into the top 50.

See the list. It includes links to profiles Ministry Watch has created to evaluate each ministry on a number of fronts, including transparency and efficiency and resulting in a donor confidence score.

Ministry Watch articles do not hesitate to delve into controversy or ask hard questions. You might appreciate a recent conversation with Ed Stetzer about foreign mission strategy and support raising. It made me squirm but also reminded me of some common pitfalls and unintended consequences.

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