Samaritan’s Purse Declines $300M From Trump Funding Package

World Vision accepting $238M as part of grant program.

Samaritan’s Purse won’t be accepting a major funding offer from the U.S. Department of State, according to a statement from its president, Franklin Graham.

Franklin Graham visits the Samaritan’s Purse Emergency Field Hospital in Black River, Jamaica, in 2025 / Photo courtesy of Samaritan’s Purse.

“While we deeply appreciate the confidence that the State Department has placed in Samaritan’s Purse, after prayer and discussion, we have withdrawn from being a recipient of these funds,” Graham wrote in a statement emailed to MinistryWatch.

He described Samaritan’s Purse as “primarily supported by God’s people” and expressed a desire to avoid government dependence.

“Throughout my history leading Samaritan’s Purse, we have always relied on God, not government, for funding. We thank God for the incredible donors He has led to be a part of upholding this ministry,” Graham added. “As we have done for decades, we will continue sharing the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ—His death, burial, resurrection, and coming return—always responding to crises in Jesus’ Name.”

The rejected $300 million grant is part of a larger effort by the Trump administration to partner financially with faith-based groups to further its America First Global Health Strategy. On Aug. 6th, the Department of State announced a $2 billion funding package to partner with numerous faith-based organizations to “reach 7 million people with critical, lifesaving assistance across 16 humanitarian crises.”

Samaritan’s Purse features prominently in the press release, and the State Department hoped to rely on the organization’s “decades-long record of delivering emergency relief in conflict zones, post-disaster environments, and disease outbreak settings where few others can operate effectively.”

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Though Samaritan’s Purse declined this particular funding offer, the organization has accepted federal contributions in the past and would consider doing so again in the future. In 2024, the organization received more than $75 million in government grants, though that was a small fraction of its total revenue of more than $1.8 billion.

“We are grateful for our working relationship with the State Department and will continue to be available to partner with the U.S. government in response to emergencies, just not through this macro grant program,” Graham said in his emailed statement. “I am thankful for the changes President Trump has made to America’s foreign aid program and appreciate the tremendous efforts Secretary of State Marco Rubio has put into this. I’m grateful that the U.S. government remains the global leader in providing life-saving aid around the world.”

The other Christian ministries identified for major roles in the grant program are World Vision and Compassion International.

World Vision announced plans to accept $238 million in an Aug. 6 statement. “The funding will be used to deliver urgent humanitarian needs such as food, clean water, and shelter across more than 30 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America,” the statement said. Additionally, “World Vision will lead a consortium that includes Accord Network members along with local partners to provide aid and sustained humanitarian responses and strengthen emergency preparedness.” World Vision accepted over $500 million in government grants in 2024, out of total revenue of over $1.4 billion. In an email response to questions from MinistryWatch, a World Vision spokesperson said its “grant funding for disaster and humanitarian response is completely separate from Samaritan’s Purse’s award.”

Compassion International has not released a public statement regarding intent to accept the funds the State Department designated for its use. The organization does not file an IRS Form 990, but indicates revenue of $1.4 billion in its 2025 Accountability Report. No government grants are explicitly indicated in that report, although “other net revenue” of $63.7 million could involve some public funds. Compassion International declined to answer questions about the program, referring all inquiries to World Vision and saying, “World Vision is the primary.”

Numerous other faith-based organizations are expected to participate in the consortium by way of the Accord Network, which defines itself as “a community of 165+ Christ-centered organizations with a combined revenue of over $6B committed to holistic transformation in global relief and development.”

The program seeks  to create a global team of organizations that “combines the experience, robust compliance and transparency, trusted local relationships and financial scale to deliver rapid, effective emergency response at a global level,” according to the State Department’s announcement.

Asked how Samaritan’s Purse’s withdrawal would affect the program’s strategy and fund allocation, a State Department spokesperson said, “We express our gratitude to Samaritan’s Purse and understand that this change is solely based on their continued commitment to receiving non-government funding. Faith-based organizations play a key role in global disaster response, and we look forward to continuing our productive and collaborative relationship with this important faith-based organization.”

It remains unclear how the funds earmarked for Samaritan’s Purse will be redistributed; the State Department spokesperson declined to comment on that question. Under USAID, federal dollars were typically awarded through a grant application process, but in this case the administration selected organizations directly, with no call for proposals, Mark Hetfield of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service told Religion News Service.

Samaritan’s Purse is currently responding to several humanitarian crises around the globe, including operating two Ebola treatment centers in the DRC, running a field hospital for earthquake victims in Venezuela,  and assisting flash flood victims in Nepal.

In the MinistryWatch database, Samaritan’s Purse earns a 2-Star Financial Efficiency Rating, a C Transparency Grade, and a Donor Confidence Score of 36 (Withhold Giving).

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