Samaritan’s Purse Refuses $300 Million Disaster Aid Offer from State Department
Samaritan’s Purse turned down a $300 million federal grant for disaster response after prayerful deliberation, despite being named in a $2 billion faith-based aid initiative.
In early August, the U.S. State Department unveiled its largest allocation of global health assistance to faith-based entities in more than two decades, earmarking almost $2 billion for health services and humanitarian response. Among the selected partners, Samaritan’s Purse was offered $300 million for disaster response and protracted emergencies. On Aug. 28, Franklin Graham announced the organization’s decision to decline the award after prayer and discussion, emphasizing its historic reliance on private contributions and divine guidance.
He thanked donors and praised the administration’s foreign-aid reforms, noting the group’s continued willingness to cooperate on emergencies. Experts warned that favoring exclusively Christian groups could blur humanitarian objectives with religious motives.
Why it matters
The refusal highlights tensions between government aid programs and faith-based groups’ preference for private funding.
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