World Concern celebrates $6.4 million gift - largest in its history

From left: World Concern President Jacinta Tegman, CRISTA Ministries Chief Development Officer Dave Eller and Foundation Relations Officer Patricia Wiebe King celebrate a $6.4 million donation from the 25-40 Foundation, the largest gift in World Concern’s 62-year history.

World Concern, a Shoreline-based Christian relief and development agency, received the largest gift in the organization’s 62-year history, and celebrated the donation on Giving Tuesday, an annual day of giving promoted by charities in response to Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

The $6.4 million gift was given by the 25-40 Foundation, a private family foundation that has supported World Concern’s community development work in Africa since 2013.

The donation will fund the expansion of World Concern’s One Village Transformed program, a sustainable transformational development program that tackles extreme poverty by empowering community members to plan and implement projects themselves.

World Concern President Jacinta Tegman expressed her gratitude on behalf of the organization.

“Two years ago, we set out on a strategic course to expand World Concern’s reach to more people in great need in some of the world’s hardest to reach places. We planned to launch 82 new villages through our One Village Transformed initiative over five years. 

"At that time, we felt the clear call to this mission, but we knew we had to pray for such a massive growth plan to be funded. We stepped out in faith, trusting God that his promises of provision in Matthew 6 would be fulfilled. Today, because of the heartfelt generosity of the 25-40 Foundation, we are seeing this come to fruition,” she said.

This funding will impact the lives of at least 30,000 people in Kenya, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, Uganda, Chad and Somalia, and will enable World Concern to launch an additional 15 villages over the course of the next six years.

“This family has such selfless compassion for people in need, and they’re savvy to dig below the surface and really understand how community development works,” said Patricia Wiebe King, Foundation Relations Officer. 

“We’re grateful for their confidence in the work of World Concern, resulting in this incredible gift to close out their foundation.”

World Concern is a part of CRISTA Ministries. More information about World Concern’s programs, or to donate, here