International charity - how we work

We are relentless in our mission

For over 70 years we've been working with communities, donors, partners, and governments to transform the lives of the world's most vulnerable children. Together, we tackle poverty at its roots and work with communities to ensure long term change, so progress is continued long after we’ve left.

Inspired by our Christian faith and supported by people like you, we work in the most dangerous places to help all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender. This work has brought better futures for 200 million vulnerable children and counting. Join us.

We couldn't do what we do without supporters like you.

How we work

Your support transforms lives - and over our 70 years experience, we have developed and honed our partnership with communities to ensure your donations lead to lasting transformations.

Why are we different?

We are sustainable and community led

We employ locally, and listen and work with communities for sustainable change

We are child focused and impactful

We empower and centre children's voices and advocate and partner to support them

We are faith based and accountable

Inspired by our Christian faith, we work holistically to help all children

Childhood Rescue

One thing that I love about World Vision is every place they go, they go in with an exit plan. They don’t want people dependent on them.

The principles behind our work

You deserve to know where your donations are going and what difference they're making in children’s lives. That’s why we’re transparent about how we work, what drives us and why we work the way we do.

Woman in South Sudan hugs three children to her waist outside a school

Local

99% of our staff work in their home regions, so they know the culture, language and communities they're working alongside. This includes working with local organisations to support their growth. Our grassroots approach means staff are friends, confidants and trustworthy partners, which can be essential in collaborating for projects and for building trust to tackle misinformation. We are proud to collaborate with people who share our values towards children: compassion, love, and mercy.

Girl looks into camera on cover page of Annual Report

Accountable

We're committed to being fully accountable to children and communities, as well as to our donors, supporters and peers in the aid sector. Consulting with communities, collecting and acting on feedback and complaints, and promoting participation are essential in being accountable, and in addition to publishing impact and annual reports, and providing financial transparency, we're members of various charitable regulators to ensure we're accountable for every penny of your support.

Girl sits at a desk in her school in Albania, textbook open

Child-focused

Our focus is firmly on helping the most vulnerable children overcome poverty and experience fullness of life. As well as fulfilling children's basic needs, we centre their voices in our projects and support them to build self-confidence, skills and independence. We are committed to helping children of all backgrounds, even in the most dangerous places, because we believe all children have a right to experience the fullness of life.

Girl in Bangladesh stands in front of the flood that has devastated her village, wearing a mask because of COVID-19

Committed

Because of your support, we are able to commit to the communities we work alongside, staying for up to 15 years to ensure families are self-sufficient, healthy and thriving. When disaster strikes, we are on the ground, quickly providing immediate support – and we stay helping to rebuild lives for children, families, and communities.

Parent and child sit in a field of crops they have grown in Zambia

Sustainable

Our community-based and community-owned programmes mean we’re confident that once we have left a community they will continue to thrive on their own. We empower communities to set their own goals and lead their own development so that progress made is sustained, and continued, long after we’ve left.

World Vision staff stands shoulder to shoulder with another partner, face away from camera

Partnering for impact

We are proud to work with anyone who will help us have a greater impact and provide better futures for vulnerable children. We have over 70 years of experience working with communities, supporters, academic bodies and governments to transform children's lives.

Faith based

Our Christian faith drives our work, as we believe that everyone is created in God’s image, and has a right to a safe, healthy, hopeful, fulfilling, and meaningful life. We serve and work with all people, regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, or gender and work together with organisations and people of all faiths and none to offer hope for a better life for children.

Girl in India beams as she stands in front of a blackboard

With a holistic approach

Experience has taught us that the most effective way to transform lives is through a holistic approach, which means we tackle the root causes of poverty through involving communities which creates a lasting impact. Our ultimate goal is to ensure all children are cared for, protected, educated, and feel loved and cherished.

Your support transforms lives

Together, we have supported people and communities to work their way out of poverty, disasters and exploitation across the world. In 2019, thanks to our supporters, we reached 3.6 million people, including 2 million children, by tackling the root causes of poverty.

Be part of our work

With your help, we can do even more; protecting children today and empowering them for tomorrow.

Childhood Rescue

How our faith supports our work

Our faith not only drives our work, but actively supports it. In addition to our many partners, we work with faith organisations to bring communities together, build trust around important health ventures such as vaccines and to ensure people’s voices are heard. Religious leaders of all faiths are uniquely placed to understand the needs of the most vulnerable in their communities, bring about changes in thinking, foster dialogue, and motivate their congregations to meet community needs.

Inspired by our common values, we seek out and work with these leaders to address underlying values and norms that prevent children from living full lives; issues like HIV and AIDS, maternal and child health, gender equality, and child protection. We work with them to keep communities safe and united when disasters such as ebola and COVID-19 strike.

We use our faith to build relationships that support local communities, working here with faith leaders in Sierra Leone to protect the community against ebola and coronavirus.