World Vision is a Christian humanitarian aid, development, and advocacy organization that focuses on children, families, and communities and aims to end poverty. The organization was founded in the United Kingdom in 1950, ¹ but became a tax-exempt organization in the United States in 1982. ²

World Vision operates its international activities through World Vision International and World Vision’s International affiliated entities. ³ It is the largest Christian international non-governmental relief and development organization in the world. ⁴ In 2019, it ranked No. 17 in 2020 the NonProfit Times Top 100 list of America’s Largest Nonprofits. ⁵ The organization employees over 34,000 people across nearly 100 countries. ⁶

History

World Vision was founded 1950 by Robert “Bob” Pierce, a Baptist minister who began his work with Youth for Christ in the late 1940s. Pierce traveled nearly 10 months out of the year, leaving his own family behind — which resulted in his daughter’s suicide and divorce from his wife — to focus on growing World Vision into a large and successful organization. World Vision’s board of directors were in constant conflict with Pierce and later ousted him. In 1970, Pierce founded Samaritan’s Purse, which is now ran by Franklin Graham, the son of evangelical Billy Graham. Pierce died in 1978 from leukemia. ⁷

Political Action

World Vision Advocacy Team is actively involved in lobbying efforts to support global humanitarian and poverty issues. ⁸ Former World Vision president Richard Stearns stated that the organization uses its “leadership platform to influence policy in the U.S.” when lobbying members of Congress. ⁹

In 2020, World Vision joined other faith-based organizations pushing Congress to fund efforts around the world to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The organizations asked for $10-$15 billion in aid for those countries the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has deemed as “ill-equipped” to handle COVID-19 outbreaks. ¹⁰

In 2017, World Vision was a co-signer on a letter sent Congress urging the rejection of cuts to international foreign aid programs proposed by then-President Donald Trump (R). ¹¹

Check the Sheriff Coalition

World Vision has allocated $25,000 to the left-of-center Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE). ¹² CLUE is a Los Angeles-based community organizing group that connects clergy and lay leaders with workers, immigrants, and low-income families. CLUE is a member of the Check the Sheriff Coalition, ¹³ Black/Brown Clergy Community Coalition, Black/Jewish Justice Alliance, and CLUE POWER. ¹⁴

Check the Sheriff is a group of progressive far left-leaning organizations, including Black Lives Matter-Los Angeles, ACLU of Southern California (ACLU SoCal), Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), Reform L.A. Jails, InnerCity Struggle, and Brothers, Sons, Selves Coalition, that oppose the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. ¹⁵ The coalition accuses the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department of corruption, abuse, and impunity ¹⁶ and demands the resignation of Los Angeles Sheriff Alex Villanueva (D), and an investigation of the department by the California Attorney General. ^{17 18}

Controversies

Islamic Relief Agency

In February 2019, the Oversight and Investigations Unit of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee began investigating World Vision’s use of government funds that were paid to an allegedly terrorist-funded organization, Islamic Relief Agency (ISRA). ¹⁹

World Vision claimed it did not know ISRA was sanctioned by the U.S. (which it has been since 2004). The Oversight and Investigations Unit found that World Vision should have known of ISRA’s sanctioned status and “ignorance can’t suffice as an excuse.” ²⁰ The committee also found that World Vision was negligent in its vetting process and stated that the organization has a “duty to ensure that funds acquired from the U.S. government or donated by Americans do not end up supporting terrorist activity.” ²¹ In response to the committee’s findings, World Vision has since made changes to its vetting process. ²²

In July 2014, the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) awarded $723,405 to World Vision, while $200,000 was to be directed to a sub-grantee, ISRA. Later, World Vision was informed by USAID that ISRA was sanctioned and to cut all ties with the organization but proceeded with attempts to transfer money. World Vision worked with Obama administration official Jeremy Konyndyk to apply for a new license to pay ISRA, which was permitted a one-time transfer of $125,000 by the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), along with a “cautionary letter” regarding the status of terrorist group. ²³

Same-Sex Marriage

Under World Vision’s former president, Richard Stearns, the organization announced it would hire employees who were part of same-sex marriages. However, two days after announcing the company policy change, World Vision reverted to its former policy. World Vision received a great deal of criticism from both conservative and liberal organizations regarding the policy change announcement and reversion. ²⁴

World Vision Australia

The accounting firm KPMG was brought in to investigate allegations of nepotism and corruption at World Vision Australia, regarding an apparent kickback scheme totaling more than $1.6 million that involved a World Vision Australia executive. The organization’s former CEO, Claire Rogers, resigned after the alleged allegations. The organization also underpaid approximately 200 temporary and 45 permanent employees, at a cost of $8.9 million. ²⁵

People

In October 2018, Edgar Sandoval, Sr. became the president and CEO of World Vision. He joined the organization in 2015 as the chief operating officer, directing fundraising programs. In 2020, under Sandoval’s leadership, World Vision saw a record-breaking amount of donations, both public and private. Sandoval is a graduate of Rutgers University and obtained an MBA from Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. ²⁶ Prior to Sandoval’s work with World Vision, he worked for Proctor and Gamble for 12 years. ²⁷ In 2020, World Vision President Edgar Sandoval received $524,375 in total compensation and the President Emeritus Richard Stearns received $389,699 in total compensation. ²⁸

Former World Vision President Richard Stearns had overseen the organization for 20 years but stepped down in 2018. He grew World Vision into one of the world’s largest charities. ²⁹

Finances and Grantees

Grantmaking and Charitable Work

World Vision provides grants, primarily gifts-in-kind, to independently run World Vision International offices located around the world in various countries. In 2019, World Vision provided Central America and the Caribbean with $8,460,082; East Asia and the Pacific with $1,287,749; Europe with $1,168,937; Middle East and North Africa with $8,968,564; North America with $616,195,515; Russia and neighboring states with $5,092,365; South America with $9,393,103; South Asia with $4,682,193; Sub-Saharan Africa with $180,570,113. ³⁰

Spending

According to World Vision International’s 2020 Annual Report, $258 million was spent on fundraising efforts and $136 million on administration. ³¹

Funding and Support

In the past five years, World Vision has received nearly $5.5 billion from gifts, grants, and contributions. ³² In June 2021, World Vision began its largest capital campaign in its history, called Every Last One, seeking to raise $1 billion by 2023. ³³

In 2014, the U.S. government provided 18 percent of World Vision’s revenues, while 61 percent was from private cash contributions. ³⁴ One method of funding is through the child sponsorship program, where the organization partners with long-term child sponsors who provide support for a particular child. ³⁵

Several dozen celebrities, singers, politicians, and sports figures support World Vision, including former President Bill Clinton (D) and his daughter Chelsea Clinton; soccer player Cristiano Ronaldo; and celebrities Cyndi Lauper, Hugh Jackman, Hilary Duff, Matthew McConaughey, ³⁶ Sting, and Whoopi Goldberg. ³⁷

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