Christian Charity Guts Staff In Bold International Overhaul
Christian Aid, a humanitarian organization headquartered in the United Kingdom, has announced a major international restructuring that will see its workforce significantly reduced.
According to a statement shared with the nonprofit news platform Civil Society, the charity intends to scale down its staff from 720 to approximately 400 as it shifts to a new operational model. The restructuring centers around regional hubs located in Bogotá (Colombia), Abuja (Nigeria), Nairobi (Kenya), Amman (Jordan), and Dhaka (Bangladesh).
A representative from Christian Aid indicated that final decisions regarding staff roles will be communicated in the latter half of June, following the conclusion of an internal consultation period. Any changes in personnel, including layoffs, would take effect at the end of October after notice periods are completed.
The announcement comes after a year-long internal review assessing the organization’s direction and effectiveness. Chief Executive Patrick Watt emphasized that the charity is refocusing on empowering local communities affected by poverty, aiming to support solutions led by those most impacted.
“Our goal is to support local leadership and step back from areas where our partners are better positioned to lead,” Watt explained. “We’ve asked ourselves, ‘Why should we do this?’ and ‘Why not empower local actors?’—questions that are central to shaping this new strategy.”
Watt noted that the evolving role of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) requires adaptation to stay relevant and impactful. He stressed that the current overhaul isn’t a response to reductions in government aid but said recent funding decisions by public donors reinforce the organization’s commitment to relying largely on voluntary contributions while collaborating with institutional funders when goals align.
Founded in 1945 by a coalition of British and Irish churches to help those displaced by World War II, Christian Aid has faced similar transitions in the past. In 2019, it scaled back operations in a dozen countries and shut down its regional offices across England. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, it furloughed around 20% of its employees and implemented temporary salary reductions to maintain essential international work.