World Vision International - Funding

Funding

According to World Vision's 2006 Consolidated Financial Statements, around 40% of their revenue comes from private sources, including individuals, World Vision clubs in schools, corporations and foundations. 27% comes from governments and multilateral aid agencies such as USAID and the Department for International Development (DFID) in the UK. 30% comes from other World Vision programs and nonprofit organizations as Gift in Kind. Aside from cash contributions, World Vision accepts gifts in kind, typically food commodities, medicine, and clothing donated through corporations and government agencies.

Approximately half of World Vision's programs are funded through child sponsorship. Individuals, families, churches, schools, and other groups sponsor specific children or specific community projects in their own country or abroad. Sponsors send funds each month to provide support for the sponsored children or projects.

World Vision Famine events like the 30-Hour Famine and 40-Hour Famine also help to raise money for impoverished countries. Typically, a group signs up to organize such an event, and then spends the next 30 or 40 hours abstaining from food, technology or other things that are taken for granted, and increasing awareness about world hunger. Many schools and individuals are annually successful with this fundraising activity. In the beginning there was only the No Food Famine, but as an example of the flexibility of the program, some do a Techno Famine, without technology (i.e. cellphones, computers, TV or digital audio players). In 2009 nearly 500,000 children across the US participated in the 30 Hour Famine. According to World Vision spokeswoman Myrna Gutierrez the money raised went towards buying food for countries in need such as Uganda and Haiti. World Vision's relief work in Haiti consisted of distribution of medical supplies and care to injured children and families. Even though the 30 Hour Famine is a critical fundraiser it also "aims to give young people a sense of what it is like to be poor and hungry". Another one is the 24 hour wake, an event that involves a group signing up for lack of any form of rest or energy drink supplements to show the overworked conditions the third world has to deal with.

According to World Vision's annual report, in 2008, 87% of its funding was spent on programs, 8% on fundraising and 5% on management and general overhead.