The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) may face dismantling, yet billions of taxpayer dollars continue to flow overseas. On August 12, 2026, the Trump administration announced it will allocate nearly $2 billion in humanitarian funding to faith-based organizations, including $1.4 billion through its America First Global Health Strategy.

Among the largest recipients are three Christian organizations: World Vision, Compassion International, and Samaritan's Purse. The State Department described this as "the largest allocation of global health foreign assistance to faith-based organizations in over 20 years."

The funding breakdown includes $850 million to a World Vision-led global consortium, $570 million to faith and community-based health facilities via foreign governments, $300 million to Samaritan's Purse, and $238 million to a consortium led by World Vision and Compassion International.

Samaritan's Purse, which will receive its funding over two years, identifies as an "evangelical Christian organization" providing "spiritual and physical aid." Its mission statement emphasizes helping "meet the needs of people…with the purpose of sharing God's love through His Son, Jesus Christ" and serving "the Church worldwide to promote the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ." From 2021 to 2025, it was awarded $90 million from USAID, according to the Brookings Institution.

World Vision describes itself as a "Christian charity" partnering with "pastors and Christian leaders throughout the world" to "strengthen local churches…to support sustained spiritual and physical transformation." Compassion International similarly partners with local churches in impoverished communities to introduce "vulnerable children to Jesus as [they] meet their critical needs."

The administration claims faith-based organizations deliver aid more efficiently but has not provided data to support this. The preference for religious providers raises constitutional concerns under the First Amendment's Establishment Clause, which prohibits government actions that unduly favor one religion over another.

Samaritan's Purse has faced criticism; in 2025, MinistryWatch downgraded it from "Give with Caution" to "Withhold Giving" after it left the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability for not meeting board composition recommendations. The organization has also been associated with controversial social media posts, including statements about Muslim immigration.

These developments come amid ongoing debates about the role of religion in government-funded aid programs and the future of U.S. foreign assistance.

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