Samaritan’s Purse continues international relief efforts despite USAID uncertainty

CHARLOTTE — Samaritan’s Purse, the international-aid nonprofit based in Boone, N.C., is one of the largest recipients of funding from the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) in North Carolina. As President Donald Trump’s administration and Elon Musk’s newly created Department of Governmental Efficiency vowed to dismantle USAID, funding for Samaritan’s Purse and organizations like it are in question.

Federal funding only accounted for 5% of Samaritan’s Purse’s more than $1 billion in revenue for 2024, but the organization works closely with USAID and has received more than $350m of taxpayer money since 2016. A review of federal audits show the bulk of the funding came directly from USAID.

In 2023, Samaritan’s Purse received more than $53 million, all of which was spent outside of the United States, tax records and federal audits show.

Samaritan’s Purse President Franklin Graham said the work his organization does, like providing medical programs in impoverished countries and emergency food assistance, will continue regardless of federal funding. Graham believes the organization will be exempt from massive spending cuts from the government, but admits there is some uncertainty with the process.

“We have not stopped any of these life-saving food and medical programs. It is our understanding from the State Department’s announcements that life-sustaining essential emergency supplies such as food and medicine are exempt from the stop order, however, the details of the waiver process are not yet clear,” Graham said in a statement to Channel 9.

USAID’s future is currently in question after Trump attempted to place thousands of employees of the agency on leave, an attempt a federal judge ultimately blocked.

Despite the millions of people helped by groups like Samaritan’s Purse, Musk has made his thoughts on USAID spending and funding clear, calling it a, “criminal organization,” and a “...viper’s nest of radical-left Marxists who hate America,” on X.

Where is the money going?

Samaritan’s Purse is not just an international aid organization, their efforts are also deployed in the United States.

In 2023, Samaritan’s Purse sent our Disaster Relief Units on 27 deployments in 15 states, including two locations in Florida and one in Georgia following Hurricane Idalia; as well as Hawaii following a wildfire on the island of Maui, according to IRS documents. Still, the bulk of federal funding the organization receives from the government is spent abroad.

“These [federal grant] funds were used for emergency feeding and medical programs in difficult areas of Africa including Sudan, South Sudan, DRC, and Ethiopia, with the majority being spent in Sudan and South Sudan,” Graham said.

Graham said he sees Trump’s review of government spending as a good thing, but regardless of the future of USAID and other international funds provided to his organization Samaritan’s Purse isn’t going to stop their efforts.

“We trust that the new leadership will analyze all of the information and make good decisions. I encourage the State Department to continue providing life-saving aid such as food and medicine. Whatever the outcome, this will not change the fact that Samaritan’s Purse will continue to help people in need,” he said.