On Friday, Christian humanitarian organization World Vision is set to launch what it calls “the largest capital campaign in its 70-year history.” The Every Last One campaign intends to raise $1 billion by 2023 in a bid to lift 60 million people out of extreme poverty.
Even before this week’s launch, the organization is already well on its way to meeting the campaign’s target, as World Vision has been “quietly” raising capital with donors for the past five years, according to Chris Glynn, senior vice president of transformational engagement.
“We wanted to make sure we play our part to help end extreme poverty in our lifetime, so we launched this billion-dollar campaign” around the time that the United Nations established the Sustainable Development Goals, he said. “Right now, we have already raised $773 million of the $1 billion.”
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Why it matters: The eight-year campaign is designed to significantly move the needle on the first six SDGs — striving to end poverty and hunger while ensuring good health, quality education, gender equality, and clean water — Glynn said.
“We are the largest nongovernmental provider of clean water,” he said, predicting that the program by 2023 will be halfway to the organization’s 2030 objective of providing 50 million people with potable water.
What’s next: Through Every Last One, World Vision will invite Christian philanthropists to support multiyear programs in over 50 countries. The campaign also intends to provide emergency assistance to 16 million people affected by disasters and humanitarian crises.
Update, May 14, 2021: This article has been updated to reflect that World Vision has been “quietly” raising capital with donors for the past five years.
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Rumbi Chakamba
Rumbi Chakamba is a Senior Editor at Devex based in Botswana, who has worked with regional and international publications including News Deeply, The Zambezian, Outriders Network, and Global Sisters Report. She holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from the University of South Africa.
