Tearfund

Tearfund is an international Christian relief and development organization headquartered in Teddington in the United Kingdom. It works with people affected by poverty, conflict, disasters, environmental degradation, and social exclusion, generally through local churches and other community-based or Christian partner organizations. Tearfund states that its assistance is intended for people regardless of race or religious affiliation, while its operating model is strongly rooted in Christian networks and local church partnerships. The organization originated within the Evangelical Alliance. In the 1960s, the alliance received spontaneous donations from supporters for people affected by international crises and initially passed the money to established aid agencies. This activity developed into a dedicated organization, first known as the Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund Committee, then as TEAR Fund, and eventually as Tearfund. It was launched in 1968 and formally registered as a charity in 1973. Former curate George Hoffman was an early leader and founder, while the Anglican theologian John Stott became its first international president. Tearfund moved from grant-making toward direct overseas work in 1972, when it supported hospitals, clinics, and feeding camps in Bangladesh in cooperation with Interserve. Over time, its work expanded into disaster response, community development, public health, livelihoods, church mobilization, environmental sustainability, and policy advocacy. Its disaster-response capacity was formalized in 1994 after the Rwandan genocide and later developed into the Disaster Management Team. The organization also became a member of the Disasters Emergency Committee, working alongside major United Kingdom charities during large-scale emergencies. The charity has pursued several forms of practical development and public engagement. Its former Tearcraft operation imported coffee, handicrafts, jewelry, and other fairly traded products from communities connected to its overseas work. Tearcraft was discontinued in 2015 as fair-trade products became more widely available through other channels. Tearfund also operated a child-sponsorship program, initially called Family Plan and later Partners in Childcare, before ending that work in 1999 and placing greater emphasis on family- and community-based support rather than institutional care. Advocacy is a central part of Tearfund’s identity. Its campaigns have addressed extreme poverty, international debt, fair trade, extractive-industry transparency, climate change, access to clean energy, and plastic pollution. The organization participated in the Jubilee 2000 movement, the Make Poverty History campaign, and the Publish What You Pay coalition. It has also promoted circular-economy approaches and campaigned for companies to take greater responsibility for plastic waste. Within the United Kingdom, initiatives associated with Tearfund have included Toilet Twinning, Restored, Inspired Individuals, and Tearfund Learn. Tearfund has developed relationships with legally separate or independently operated sister organizations in countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United States. In the United Kingdom it also produces supporter communications, development-learning materials, research, training resources, and the Footsteps magazine. The organization marked its fiftieth anniversary in 2018 with fundraising, prayer, advocacy, and public events. At the financial year end of 31 March 2023, the charity reported income of £85 million.

Tearfund emerged from the Evangelical Alliance in the United Kingdom during the late 1960s. The alliance had been receiving unsolicited donations from supporters who wanted to help people affected by crises overseas. At first, the money was distributed through existing aid agencies. The volume and continuity of the giving led to the creation of a dedicated relief body, initially named the Evangelical Alliance Relief Fund Committee. The name was shortened to TEAR Fund and later standardized as Tearfund. The organization was launched in 1968 and formally registered as a charity in 1973. George Hoffman, a former curate, was among its early founders and leaders. In 1972, Tearfund began working overseas directly rather than only financing established agencies. Its first recorded direct overseas activity supported hospitals, clinics, and feeding camps in Bangladesh alongside Interserve. This marked the beginning of a model that combined relief work with longer-term development and relied heavily on local Christian organizations and churches. John Stott became the organization’s first international president. In 1997 he was succeeded by joint presidents Rene Padilla and Elaine Storkey. Tearfund developed early commercial and sponsorship programs alongside its relief work. Tearcraft began in 1974 as a fair-trade initiative, importing goods such as coffee, handicrafts, and jewelry from areas in which Tearfund operated. Products were sold in the United Kingdom through volunteer church representatives. Richard Adams, who founded Tearcraft, later left Tearfund and established Traidcraft in 1979 and helped found the Fairtrade Foundation in 1989. Tearfund’s own Tearcraft program ended in 2015 as fair-trade distribution became more established elsewhere. Also in 1974, Tearfund introduced a child-sponsorship program called Family Plan, later renamed Partners in Childcare. The first sponsored children were Bangladeshi orphans. The program subsequently moved away from institutional care toward support delivered through families and local churches, and the sponsorship operation was closed in 1999. Humanitarian response became more formally organized in 1994, when Tearfund created a Disaster Response Unit following the Rwandan genocide. The unit was later renamed the Disaster Management Team. Under executive director Doug Balfour, Tearfund joined the Disasters Emergency Committee, a United Kingdom umbrella group that coordinates appeals and responses among major charities. The organization also participated in collaborative work on HIV/AIDS and other international development priorities. Tearfund’s international networking role expanded in 1999 when it helped establish the Micah Network. The network brings together hundreds of evangelical organizations to strengthen development practice, share experience, and explore the Christian dimensions of poverty reduction. Tearfund also developed separate but connected national organizations and partners in countries including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Switzerland, and the United States. From the 1990s onward, campaigning became increasingly important. Tearfund addressed climate change publicly through the Whose Earth? campaign in 1992 and created the Global Action Network in 1997 to equip supporters to campaign on poverty issues. Isabel Carter of Tearfund was involved in launching Jubilee 2000 in 1996, a movement that sought cancellation of the debts of the world’s poorest countries. Tearfund later participated in Make Poverty History in 2005, which combined debt relief with demands for fairer trade and more effective aid. In 2012, the organization worked with the Publish What You Pay coalition on transparency rules requiring certain extractive and forestry companies operating in the European Union to disclose payments to governments. Contemporary Tearfund combines emergency response, community development, church partnerships, environmental work, education, and policy advocacy. Its United Kingdom initiatives have included Toilet Twinning, which raises money for sanitation by linking toilets in the United Kingdom with overseas latrine projects; Restored, an alliance addressing violence against women; Inspired Individuals, which supports Christian social entrepreneurs; and Tearfund Learn, which publishes training, research, case studies, and practical development tools. Tearfund has promoted climate action, clean-energy access, and circular-economy principles, and in 2019 launched a campaign focused on corporate responsibility for plastic pollution. Its fiftieth anniversary in 2018 was marked by a nationwide program of giving, prayer, advocacy, and public events. The organization currently works in approximately 50 countries.

• 2019

  Rubbish Campaign launches

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  Tearfund begins a campaign urging major companies to take greater responsibility for plastic pollution.

• 2018

  Fiftieth anniversary

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  Tearfund marks 50 years with fundraising, prayer, advocacy, and events across the United Kingdom.

• 2015

  Tearcraft closes

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  Tearfund winds up its fair-trade trading operation.

• 2012

  Extractive-industry transparency campaign

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  Through the Publish What You Pay coalition, Tearfund campaigns for companies to disclose payments made to governments.

• 2005

  Make Poverty History participation

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  Tearfund joins the Make Poverty History coalition, supporting demands concerning debt, trade, and development assistance.

• 1999

  Micah Network is founded

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  Tearfund helps establish the Micah Network, an international network of evangelical organizations focused on development practice and cooperation.

• 1999

  Child-sponsorship program ends

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  Tearfund ends its Family Plan and Partners in Childcare sponsorship work after shifting toward family- and community-based support.

• 1997

  Global Action Network is established

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  Tearfund begins a structured program to help supporters campaign on international poverty and development issues.

• 1996

  Participation in Jubilee 2000

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  Tearfund personnel help launch the Jubilee 2000 debt-cancellation movement.

• 1994

  Disaster response unit established

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  Tearfund creates a Disaster Response Unit after the Rwandan genocide; it later becomes the Disaster Management Team.

• 1992

  Climate advocacy begins through Whose Earth?

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  Tearfund joins evangelical partners in the Whose Earth? campaign, one of its early public initiatives addressing climate change.

• 1974

  Tearcraft and Family Plan begin

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  Tearfund starts its fair-trade Tearcraft operation and launches Family Plan, an early child-sponsorship program later renamed Partners in Childcare.

• 1973

  Formal charity registration

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  Tearfund is formally registered as a charitable organization in the United Kingdom.

• 1972

  First direct overseas work

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  Tearfund begins direct overseas activity by supporting hospitals, clinics, and feeding camps in Bangladesh with Interserve.

• 1968

  Tearfund is launched

  [1]Tearfunden.wikipedia.org

  The Evangelical Alliance launches a dedicated relief organization that develops from its earlier fundraising and grant-distribution activity.

A faith-based international relief and development charity that combines humanitarian response, long-term poverty reduction, local church partnerships, environmental action, and public-policy advocacy.

• Humanitarian response · 1994

  Disaster Management Team

  Tearfund’s organized emergency-response capability, developed from the Disaster Response Unit created in 1994. It supports responses to major humanitarian emergencies, generally in cooperation with local churches, partner organizations, and wider charity networks such as the Disasters Emergency Committee.

• Sanitation fundraising

  Toilet Twinning

  A fundraising initiative that allows supporters, churches, schools, and organizations to link a toilet in the United Kingdom with a sanitation project overseas. Donations support latrine construction and related water, sanitation, and hygiene work in communities affected by poverty.

• Development education

  Tearfund Learn

  An educational and knowledge-sharing arm producing training materials, research, case studies, impact reports, tools, and guides for people working in development and humanitarian settings. Its subject areas include environmental sustainability, disaster response, communication for development, and church mobilization.

• Development publication

  Footsteps

  A free print and digital magazine for people working with communities to create positive change. It shares practical development experience and is distributed internationally, including in translated editions.

• Fair-trade retail · 1974

  Tearcraft

  A former Tearfund fair-trade venture that imported coffee, crafts, jewelry, and other products connected to overseas communities and sold them through a United Kingdom network of volunteer church representatives.

• Child sponsorship · 1974

  Family Plan / Partners in Childcare

  A former child-sponsorship program that began by supporting Bangladeshi orphans and later shifted toward assistance delivered through families and local churches rather than institutional care.

• 2019Rubbish Campaign

  United Kingdom · International

  Tearfund called on large consumer-goods companies to improve their management of plastic pollution and waste, naming companies including Coca-Cola, Nestlé, PepsiCo, and Unilever.

  Source
• 2012Publish What You Pay

  European Union · International

  Tearfund worked with the Publish What You Pay coalition to promote disclosure of payments made by oil, gas, mining, and forestry companies to governments.

  Outcome. The campaign contributed to European Union transparency requirements covering certain companies registered within the EU.

  Source
• 2005Make Poverty History

  United Kingdom · International

  Tearfund joined a broad coalition campaigning on international debt, fairer trade, and more effective and appropriately targeted development aid.

  Outcome. The coalition was dissolved in 2006, while several constituent organizations continued related debt and development advocacy.

  Source
• 1996Jubilee 2000

  International

  Tearfund participated in the international movement calling for cancellation of the debts of the world’s poorest countries before the new millennium.

  Outcome. The movement later developed into related debt-justice campaigning, including the Jubilee Debt Coalition.

  Source
• 1992Whose Earth?

  United Kingdom

  Tearfund worked with evangelical organizations including Spring Harvest and Youth for Christ to raise public awareness of climate change.

  Outcome. The campaign helped establish climate change as an ongoing subject of Tearfund’s public advocacy.

  Source

• 2018

  Establish Tearfund USAStrategy

  Background

  Tearfund sought to extend its organizational presence and fundraising network in the United States.

  Action taken

  The organization announced the launch of Tearfund USA as a separate national organization connected to the wider Tearfund family.

  Source

• 2015

  Discontinue TearcraftStrategy

  Background

  Fairly traded goods had become more widely available through other specialist organizations and retail channels.

  Action taken

  Tearfund wound up its Tearcraft fair-trade trading operation.

  Aftermath

  Tearfund concentrated more directly on relief, development, advocacy, and supporter engagement rather than operating its own fair-trade product business.

  Source

• 1999

  End child sponsorshipStrategy

  Background

  Tearfund had reassessed its earlier sponsorship model, which initially focused on orphaned children and institutional care.

  Action taken

  The organization ended the Family Plan and Partners in Childcare program and placed greater emphasis on family- and community-based support.

  Aftermath

  Child support was incorporated into a broader local-partner and community-development approach.

  Source

• 1994

  Formalize disaster-response capacityStrategy

  Background

  The humanitarian consequences of the Rwandan genocide highlighted the need for a more structured emergency-response capability.

  Action taken

  Tearfund established a Disaster Response Unit, later renamed the Disaster Management Team.

  Aftermath

  The unit became part of Tearfund’s continuing international emergency-response work and supported cooperation through the Disasters Emergency Committee.

  Source

1. 1Tearfunden.wikipedia.org
2. 2Tearfund official websitetearfund.org