About Global Hunger Relief

GHR(Global Hunger Relief) is an initiative of Southern Baptists that was formerly known as the World Hunger Fund. GHR-funded projects combat hunger in North America and around the world in a wide variety of ways, from participating in disaster relief to addressing chronic hunger, from eliminating urban food deserts to helping women rescued from sex trafficking and much more.

GHR is one of the most effective channels for donating toward the global hunger crisis. While most humanitarian organizations may keep from 30% to 70% for administrative overhead (buildings, salaries, advertising, etc.), GHR is able to devote resources directly to meeting hunger needs because of the unique partnership it represents:

• Cooperation. Southern Baptist hunger efforts have a much lower overhead because Southern Baptist churches cover most administrative costs through their Cooperative Program giving and special offerings.
• Collaboration. GHR partners work together to promote the cause of hunger awareness, eliminating the need for massive marketing budgets. More importantly, GHR depends on a grass-roots network of Southern Baptist church members to mobilize support and involvement.

GHR-funded projects meet crisis hunger needs in famine or disaster relief situations, but also catalyze long-term change in conditions of human suffering and extreme poverty that cause chronic hunger. Such projects may involve job training and vocational education, livestock and seeds, farm improvement, clean water, home reconstruction, medical care and hygiene education, etc.

GHR provides business services, including promotion services and administrative coordination of volunteer and paid-provider projects for charitable organizations that work in the field of national and international development, natural disaster relief, humanitarian relief, medical care and support, and evangelical activities.

The goal of GHR hunger projects is communities and lives transformed Ö for today, tomorrow, and forever. GHR funds are used in Gospel-centered hunger projects that share Godís love in both word and deed. GHR partners work to help people discover the new lives God offers them, learning how to provide for themselves and share new life with others.

Missions-focused GHR projects are integrated into the strategies prioritized by the NAMB(North American Mission Board) and IMB(International Mission Board). All GHR projects have an intentional spiritual strategy, work with Southern Baptist personnel, solicit local input and expertise, and have accountability measures built in.

The national GHR partners:

Why give to GHR over other charities?

Only Global Hunger Relief uses 100% of all contributions to feed hungry people. (Personnel are already in place; thus, administrative and promotional costs are borne out of other budgets.)

When Southern Baptists give food, they are there for the long haul, desiring to plant churches and make disciples for Jesus Christ. Our desire is to build relationships with people and eventually lead them to a relationship with Christ.

The Good News of salvation through Christ is always foundational. Whenever possible, the plan of salvation is shared and an opportunity to respond is given.

In emergency situations, food aid must be given. But when possible, hunger ministries are designed to create independence from rather than dependence on food aid.

Where does money go?

Twenty cents of every dollar is sent to the North American Mission Board. These funds are used to support hunger projects in the United States and Canada. Eighty cents of every dollar is sent to the International Mission Board. These funds are used for direct hunger ministry, as well as water well drilling, agricultural education, water purification, etc.

Ways to give:

• Through your local Southern Baptist church. Designate your offering for the Global Hunger Relief.
• Through your state Baptist convention. States vary in how GHR gifts are distributed. For more information, contact your state Baptist convention
• Online through Baptist Global Response. (Distributed according to the 80/20 formula described above. Nothing is held back for BGR’s overhead expenses.)

Domestic Hunger Statistics

• In the United States, 1 in 6 people struggles with hunger. (Hunger in America 2014)
• One in seven people in the U.S. access food banks to help meet their needs. (Hunger in America 2014)
• 89% of households with children are considered food insecure. (Hunger in America 2014)
• About 795 million people are undernourished globally. (The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015)
• The vast majority of the worldís hungry people live in developing countries, where 13.5 percent of the population is undernourished. (The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015)
• Asia is the continent with the most hungry people – two thirds of the total. (The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015)
• Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the highest prevalence (percentage of population) of hunger. One person in four there is undernourished.(The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015)
• Poor nutrition causes nearly half (45%) of deaths in children under five – 3.1 million children each year. (The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015)
• One out of six childrenóroughly 100 millionóin developing countries is underweight. (The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015)
• One in four of the worldís children is stunted. In developing countries the proportion can rise to one in three. (World Food Programme)
• 66 million primary school-age children attend classes hungry across the developing world, with 23 million in Africa alone. (World Food Programme)
• Economic growth is a key success factor for reducing undernourishment. Enhancing the productivity and incomes of family farmers is key to progress. (The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015)
• Natural and human-induced disasters or political instability create protracted crises that increase vulnerability and food insecurity. (The State of Food Insecurity in the World 2015)

Global Hunger Relief Giving Statistics

• 100% of gifts to Global Hunger Relief go directly to meeting hunger needs. No administrative or promotional costs are covered by your donations.
• Internationally, 36,387 individuals received food as part of community development efforts, and 204,989 as part of disaster response efforts in 2014.
• In 2014, more than $1 million was provided to over 1,000 hunger ministries in North America.
• 4.5 million meals were provided and more than 21,000 professions of faith were reported through hunger relief ministries in North America.