Christian international development charity Tearfund has seen its annual income decline by £11m to its lowest in over 10 years, driven by a reduction in funding from the US and other governments.
Tearfund’s overall income was £69.2m in the year to March 2026, its accounts show, the lowest total the charity has recorded since 2014-15 (£62m).
In 2025-26, the charity received no money from the US government, compared to £7.1m the year before.
Its income from the UK government halved to £1.4m while money from the UN, EU, Dutch and German administrations also declined last year.
However, Tearfund recorded a surplus as its expenditure decreased by 11% to £69m, with the “closure of USAID funding driving a reduction in programming, particularly in the east and central Africa region”.
The charity ended the year with total funds of £29.9m, £200,000 higher than 12 months before.
“In 2025-26 there has been a drop in available government awards and an increasingly turbulent global situation deepening the needs of many communities,” the accounts read.
“Tearfund’s financial position has remained stable throughout the period, enabling our ongoing work with vulnerable communities.”
Employee sacked after safeguarding case
Tearfund spent a similar amount on employee costs (£31.5m) as the year before, while its average headcount declined (794, down from 893). It spent £280,000 on redundancy and severance costs (£179,000 year prior).
During 2025-26, the charity reported 16 safeguarding cases, down from 18 the year before.
One case involved a Tearfund staff member and resulted in their employment being terminated after an investigation.
The charity spent more on raising funds (£13m, up from £10.7m) in 2025-26 and received 330 fundraising-related complaints during the year, with no record of any being escalated to the Fundraising Regulator.
Meanwhile, the accounts state that the ongoing sale of the charity’s head offices in southwest London, insured for £12.5m, is “continuing to progress”.
Tearfund has been headquartered at the warehouse conversion in Teddington for the past 40 years but has been trying to sell it since 2023.
