Christian Charities
As Christians we are called to help the poor, the orphans and the widows. But we are to do it out of love and compassion not out of obligation.
James 1:27 (NIV)Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.1 Corinthians 13: 1-3 (NIV)
If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.
When we give of our money to charities it should be because we believe in the ministry of the organization. It is important that the mission speaks to your heart and giving is something that you are led to do. There are so many great Christian charities out there but sometimes it can feel overwhelming searching for the right one.
Below is a list (certainly not exhaustive) of Christian charities with links to their sites and blurbs about their mission.
Charities for Food and Disaster Relief
Samaritan’s Purse
Samaritan’s Purse is a nondenominational evangelical Christian organization providing spiritual and physical aid to hurting people around the world. Since 1970, Samaritan’s Purse has helped meet needs of people who are victims of war, poverty, natural disasters, disease, and famine with the purpose of sharing God’s love through His Son, Jesus Christ. The organization serves the church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Compassion International –
Compassion International is a child-advocacy ministry that pairs compassionate people with those who are suffering from poverty. The ministry releases children from spiritual, economic, social, and physical poverty. The goal is for each child to become a responsible and fulfilled adult.\
Operation Blessing International –
Operation Blessing International (OBI) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) humanitarian organization dedicated to demonstrating God’s love by alleviating human need and suffering in the United States and around the world. One of the largest charities in America, Operation Blessing provides strategic relief in 39 countries on an ongoing basis through core programs such as disaster relief, health and medical care, hunger relief, vulnerable children and orphan care, safe water and community development.
Children’s Hunger Fund –
Their mission is to deliver hope to suffering children by equipping local churches for gospel-centered mercy ministry. Children’s Hunger Fund was established in 1991 by president and founder Dave Phillips. Since then, CHF has delivered food and, ultimately, hope to children and families in need in the US and around the world for over 25 years.
The Salvation Army –
The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. The mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.
Lifeline Christian Mission –
Founded in 1980 by Bob and Gretchen Devoe, Lifeline Christian Mission began with its first clinic in Haiti. Helping the local people by providing physical care and spiritual ministry, their work quickly spread to other countries in need, including Honduras, Cuba, El Salvador, and more. Today, Lifeline Christian Mission feeds, educates, and ministers to millions of needy people around the world through their many unique sponsorship programs, food drives, and mission trips.
Food for the Poor –
Food For The Poor began in 1982 in Jamaica. Today, our interdenominational Christian ministry serves the poor in 17 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Thanks to our faithful donors, we are able to provide food, housing, healthcare, education, fresh water, emergency relief, micro-enterprise solutions and much more. We are proud to have maintained fundraising and administrative costs of less than 5% of our expenses; more than 95% of all donations go directly to programs that help the poor.
Charity: Water-
Charity: Water addresses individuals’ most basic of needs—that of clean drinking water. Since the charity’s founding in 2006, it has worked in more than 20 countries on more than 19,000 projects to benefit more than 6 million individuals.
World Vision –
World Vision is an international partnership of Christians whose mission is to follow our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ in working with the poor and oppressed to promote human transformation, seek justice, and bear witness to the good news of the Kingdom of God.
Christian Blind Mission International –
CBM is an international Christian development organisation, committed to improving the quality of life of people with disabilities in the poorest communities of the world. Based on its Christian values and over 100 years of professional expertise, CBM addresses poverty as a cause and a consequence of disability, and works in partnership to create an inclusive society for all.
Mercury One –
Mercury One is a Humanitarian Aid and Education organization focused on restoring the human spirit. Mercury One’s initiatives include providing programs to individuals to advance the skills, knowledge and attitudes necessary for communities to help themselves as well as assisting our nation’s veterans, providing aid to those in crisis, and rebuilding and restoring the lives of Christians and other persecuted religious minorities in the Middle East.
The Lulu Tree –
The Lulu Tree’s mission is to prevent tomorrow’s orphans by equipping today’s families through the local church. When the church becomes the cornerstone of a community, the downward spiral of poverty is upended as families work together to develop healthy, sustainable villages rooted in the love of Christ–and disciples are made in all nations.
Children’s Cup –
Equip local churches to transform communities through holistic child development. Every child a whole child. Wholeness – spiritual, physical, emotional, and economically empowered.
Hope World Wide –
HOPE worldwide is an international charity that changes lives by harnessing the compassion and commitment of dedicated staff and volunteers to deliver sustainable, high-impact, community-based services to the poor and needy. HOPE worldwide was founded in 1991 in response to the call of the Scriptures to serve the poor, sick and suffering throughout the world.
Charities focusing on Missionary Work
Advancing Native Missions –
Did you know that today there are almost 7,000 people groups with no effective witness for Jesus? ANM serves 250 indigenous mission partners with over 8,500 native missionaries working in 80 countries. These missionaries are engaging more than 450 of these unreached people groups and are reaching out to more all the time.
Open Doors –
For over 60 years, Open Doors has worked in the world’s most oppressive countries, empowering Christians who are persecuted for their beliefs. Open Doors equips persecuted Christians in more than 60 countries through programs like Bible & Gospel Development, Women & Children Advancement and Christian Community Restoration.
Jews for Jesus –
Jews need Jesus too. Jewish people tend to dismiss evangelistic methods and materials that are couched in Christian presuppositions and lingo, because such materials reinforce the assumption that Jesus is for “them,” not “us.” In order to get beyond that assumption, we have to be innovative in the following areas: Evangelistic Literature, Witnessing Campaigns, Music and Drama, Secular Media Outreach, Person-to-Person Ministry and Internet Evangelism.
Charities focusing on Sex Trafficking
Operation Underground Railroad – * This is an organization that I love and donate to!
We’ve gathered the world’s experts in extraction operations and in anti-child trafficking efforts to bring an end to child slavery. O.U.R.’s Underground Jump Team consists of former CIA, Navy SEALs, and Special Ops operatives that lead coordinated identification and extraction efforts. These operations are always in conjunction with law enforcement throughout the world. Once victims are rescued, a comprehensive process involving justice for the perpetrators and recovery and rehabilitation for the survivors begins. It is time for private citizens and organizations to rise up and help. It is our duty as a free and blessed people.
To the children who we pray for daily, we say: = Your long night is coming to an end. Hold on. We are on our way. And to those captors and perpetrators, even you monsters who dare offend God’s precious children, we declare to you: Be afraid. We are coming for you.
A21 Campaign –
Founded in 2008 by influential speaker Christine Caine, A21 Campaign is a nonprofit and non-government organization that focuses primarily on stopping the horrors of human trafficking, including sexual slavery and other slave labor. Studies show this is an epidemic of huge proportions, particularly in certain regions of the world, such as Asia Pacific, and not nearly enough is being done to combat it. The charity derives its name from its goal—to abolish slavery completely around the entire world by the end of the 21st century. A21 Campaign works by educating unknowledgeable citizens; protecting helpless victims through medical treatment, therapy, legal assistance and monetary help; working to prosecute traffickers for their crimes; and other various ways. Currently, A21 Campaign has offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Australia, South Africa, Thailand, Ukraine, Greece and Bulgaria.
Rahab’s Rope –
The mission of Rahab’s Rope is to give hope and opportunity to women and girls that are at risk or have been forced into the commercial sex trade of India. We provide a safe and loving environment that will enable them to grow and develop both physically and spiritually.
I pray that one of these charities moves in your heart and strikes a desire in you to donate!
Please let me know in the comments below what other Christian charities you endorse and/or you give money to. I’ll try to update and add to the list!
God bless!
Melissa
What a great resource, Melissa! I will be sharing your post!
Thank you Kelly! There are some truly amazing charities out there. God bless!
An awesome post and something we as Christians should be mindful of! I give to Children’s Cup which is an organization that provides for children’s spiritual and physical needs. Please check it out when you have an opportunity. God Bless you!
Thank you Christina! I will definitely look into Children’s Cup. Thank you for helping me add to the list of Christian charities! God bless!
Oh this is great! My husband and I try to support a variety of different causes so that we are reaching the poor, the widowed, and the orphan. These are great suggestions but I also think it’s important to find local organizations that are doing good right around the corner from you. Thank you for your research in this article.
I agree, Bailey. It’s important to also support your home church as well as local organizations that you agree with and are passionate for. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
Thanks for sharing about these charities. It can be hard to find charities that you trust, and believe in. Several of these I had heard of, several of them I hadn’t.
I’m glad you got to learn about a few you hadn’t been familiar with. Thank you for stopping by and checking them out. God bless!
Thank you for this list! While I had heard of many of these, there are some that are new to me too. It’s helpful to have them all in one place to refer back to. Thank you for your heart to call attention to the needs that are out there.
I had actually wanted a list for myself as well that I could refer back to. Sometimes certain issues come to my mind and fall on my heart and I thought this would help me to be able to search through and donate to the issue that is speaking to me. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
What a wonderful post!! I shared on our Utopia Area Christian Page (facebook group).
Thank you Tammy! There are so many awesome charities that don’t have the name recognition as others. Thank you for sharing and God bless!
This is a great resource, Melissa! I’m going to pin and bookmark this post! Thank you for putting it together!
Thanks Julie! I’m glad you found the post beneficial. Thank you for stopping by! God bless!
I don’t think I have ever seen a post like this. Thank you for sharing this information! So very valuable. I have definitely not heard of all of these. If you don’t mind, I would like to add one more…www.hopeww.org
Thank you for sharing another charity! I’ll look into it and add it. God bless!
Thank you for sharing! Do you know of any animal Christian charities? I tend to focus more on that as I am a huge animal activist. 🙂
Hmm…I guess I didn’t actively search for Christian animal charities. I’ll have to do some digging! Thank you for stopping by and asking. God bless!
Wow!! Thank you for compiling such a great list! I haven’t heard of some of these! One of which was Operation Underground Railroad, one of your favorites! Their prayer brought chills to my body! Incredible!
Thanks Katie! When you donate, anytime there is a rescue they send out a text message. It allows me to pray for the people rescued. It’s such an awesome organization for our special ops veterans to be a part of. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
This is awesome, I love that you have the salvation army listed. I love all that they do and have supported their mission in my community
Thank you Teliah. There are so many awesome Christian charities that I wanted to compile and add to the list. Thank you for stopping by and commenting on your favorite. God bless!
I am a big fan of Compassion International. I have seen several girls through adulthood through them. Such a creative idea for a lost. Informative and convicting!
With so many Christian charities that each approach issues in their own way, I wanted others to have as many options to speak to their heart for giving. I’ll try to continually add as I learn about more or based on people’s recommendations. Thank you for stopping by and commenting. God bless!
I support the salvation army here, and when I lived in Jamaica I supported Food for the Poor. I like when the community is able to see the impact of their contributions. And I can definitely vouch for these two. Great list and I truly believe there is enough wealth in the world for all of us. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Joleisa! There are many wonderful Christian charities around the world. I believe that people need to be more informed about what they do so that it moves in their heart and soul to donate. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your experience. God bless!
Hi Melissa
Relevant topic – in particular after the recent policial tax-changes in the United States.
Your list will help those who need inspiration regarding who and what to support.
I know most of these names, but I’m happy to see that you’ve included a paragraph with the purpose for each one of them; it helps people who don’t know them.
Blessings!
Edna Davidsen
Thank you Edna! That was my intent, to familiarize people with more charities to allow them the opportunity to make informed decisions. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!
You’re welcome; always nice to give your blog a visit!
Hey Melissa! Thanks of your post! It is wonderful to see all the Christian organizations out there, making a difference in the world. I’ve heard it said by non-believers, and some of those who are quite angry at Christians in general, say that Christianity has done more harm than good in this world. They believe the lie that numerous wars have been fought over religion. (The Huffington post, a non-religious news source, posted an article showing this criticism to be false). In reality, Christianity has done more good in this world than just about any thing else, and most of it can be directly contributed to amazing charitable organizations like the ones you have listed in your blog. Thanks for that! Blessings.
Yes, Lisa, there has been such a skewed understanding of Christianity. And with lack of understanding comes fear and criticism. These charities do amazing things for so many people in need. Thank you for stopping by and sharing your insights. God bless!
Thank you for this list! It is so true how we need to give to a charity that speaks to our hearts because when it comes from the heart, the Holy Spirit opens up amazing doors for all involved!
Absolutely! We then become more invested in the charity and the people involved. We donate from a place of love instead of obligation. And the Holy Spirit most certainly moves when genuine love, compassion, and sacrifice are at play! Thank you for stopping by and sharing your thoughts. God bless!