ACT Alliance
A global alliance of churches and church-related organizations working on humanitarian assistance, development, and advocacy.
Last updated August 22, 2026
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Overview
ACT Alliance is a worldwide alliance of churches and related organizations that coordinates humanitarian assistance, development cooperation, disaster-risk reduction, and advocacy. Its members are connected to the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation and share mandates related to humanitarian response and development work. The alliance was established in 2010 through the merger of ACT International and ACT Development, bringing together organizations that had previously worked separately on emergency relief and longer-term development coordination. It began with 130 member organizations and later expanded to more than 145 members operating in over 120 countries. The alliance is structured as a network rather than as a conventional commercial company. Its members deliver programs in their own operating contexts while collaborating through national and regional ACT Forums where multiple members are present. This model is intended to reduce duplication, improve coordination, strengthen locally rooted action, and connect relief, development, and advocacy. The membership base is predominantly rooted in the Global South: the reference material describes approximately 76% of members as Southern organizations, compared with 22% rooted in the Global North and 2% having a global presence. ACT Alliance's humanitarian work covers responses to emergencies and disasters around the world. In 2015, members collectively responded to 43 emergencies. Its development and advocacy agenda extends beyond immediate relief and includes gender justice, climate justice, peace and human security, migration and displacement, finance for development, development effectiveness, private-sector accountability, and the implementation of the post-2015 development agenda that produced the Sustainable Development Goals in 2015. Humanitarian response and disaster-risk reduction remain central programmatic areas alongside longer-term justice and development priorities. The alliance also participates in international humanitarian and civil-society coordination. It has held governance or representative roles connected with the Sphere Project, the International Council of Voluntary Agencies, and the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response. It is also associated with the Core Humanitarian Standard Alliance and has pursued quality and accountability certification for its secretariat, including HAP certification in 2013 and certification against CHS standards in 2017. ACT Alliance is governed through its membership and assembly processes. Its third General Assembly affirmed a global strategy for 2019–2026, organizing programmatic work around gender justice, climate justice, peace and human security, migration and displacement, humanitarian response, and disaster-risk reduction. The alliance's current General Secretary is Rudelmar Bueno de Faria of Brazil, while Birgitte Qvist-Sørensen, General Secretary of DanChurchAid, serves as moderator. ACT Alliance's role is therefore primarily that of a global coordination, representation, and programmatic network for faith-based humanitarian and development organizations rather than a producer of consumer goods or a publicly traded enterprise.
History
ACT Alliance emerged from efforts to bring church-based humanitarian and development organizations into a more coordinated international structure. The first predecessor, ACT International, was created in 1995 with a primary focus on delivering humanitarian aid. A second network, ACT Development, was established in 2007 to promote a more coordinated approach to development cooperation and humanitarian assistance. Although both organizations were linked to the wider ecumenical community, their separate mandates reflected the traditional division between emergency relief and longer-term development work. In 2010, ACT International and ACT Development were merged to form ACT Alliance. The new alliance started with 130 member organizations. Membership was defined through relationships with the World Council of Churches and the Lutheran World Federation, together with a mandate to work on humanitarian assistance and/or development issues. This institutional design gave ACT Alliance a broad base of churches and church-related agencies while preserving the operational independence of its members. Over time, ACT Alliance developed into a global network of more than 145 organizations working in over 120 countries. The alliance's membership has a strong Global South presence, with the majority of members rooted in countries of the Global South. Its work combines direct humanitarian response with longer-term development, advocacy, and policy engagement. Members respond to emergencies collectively or through coordinated country-level mechanisms, while the secretariat and alliance structures support common standards, representation, learning, and strategic direction. A key element of the alliance's operating model is the ACT Forum system. Where several member organizations work in the same country, members are encouraged to establish national forums; regional forums may also be created where cross-border coordination is useful. In 2016, the alliance included 49 national forums and 10 regional forums. These structures allow members to exchange information, coordinate assessments and responses, and pursue common advocacy while maintaining their individual organizational identities. Humanitarian response has remained a defining part of ACT Alliance's history. In 2015, the alliance reported responding to 43 emergencies worldwide. At the same time, its agenda expanded to include structural issues affecting poverty, inequality, conflict, displacement, and environmental vulnerability. Advocacy priorities included the post-2015 process that led to the Sustainable Development Goals, development finance, development effectiveness, accountability of the private sector, migration, gender justice, and climate justice. The third General Assembly confirmed the alliance's Global Strategy for 2019–2026. The strategy grouped major areas of work around gender justice, climate justice, peace and human security, migration and displacement, humanitarian response, and disaster-risk reduction. ACT Alliance also strengthened its participation in sector-wide coordination and accountability mechanisms. It has been represented in bodies associated with the Sphere Project and the International Council for Voluntary Agencies, served as vice-chair through the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response, and participated in the Core Humanitarian Standard Alliance. The secretariat achieved HAP certification in 2013 and was certified against CHS standards in 2017. The alliance continues to operate as an active global network headquartered in Geneva, with leadership provided by a General Secretary and a moderator drawn from its member community.
- 2019
Global Strategy 2019–2026 takes effect
[1]The third General Assembly affirmed the alliance's strategy for 2019–2026, centered on justice, peace, migration, humanitarian response, and disaster-risk reduction.
- 2017
Secretariat certified against CHS standards
[1]The ACT Alliance secretariat was certified against Core Humanitarian Standard requirements.
- 2016
Forum network reaches 49 national and 10 regional forums
[1]The alliance reported 49 national forums and 10 regional forums supporting coordination among members.
- 2015
Members respond to 43 emergencies
[1]ACT Alliance reported a collective response to 43 emergencies worldwide during the year.
- 2013
Secretariat receives HAP certification
[1]The ACT Alliance secretariat achieved certification under the Humanitarian Accountability Partnership framework.
- 2010
ACT Alliance is formed
[1]ACT International and ACT Development merged to create ACT Alliance, initially bringing together 130 organizations.
- 2007
ACT Development is established
[1]ACT Development was created to encourage more coordinated development cooperation and humanitarian assistance.
- 1995
ACT International is established
[1]ACT International was formed to support the delivery of humanitarian aid through church-based and related organizations.
Products and positioning
International faith-based humanitarian, development, and advocacy alliance
Brand decisions
2019
Adoption of the Global Strategy 2019–2026StrategyBackground
The alliance sought a common framework for linking humanitarian response, development, advocacy, and justice-oriented work.
Action taken
The third General Assembly affirmed a global strategy covering gender justice, climate justice, peace and human security, migration and displacement, humanitarian response, and disaster-risk reduction.
Aftermath
The strategy established the alliance's principal programmatic priorities for the 2019–2026 period.
2010
Merger of ACT International and ACT DevelopmentM&ABackground
The two predecessor networks had complementary mandates covering humanitarian aid and development cooperation, creating a case for a unified alliance.
Action taken
ACT International and ACT Development were combined to establish ACT Alliance with an initial membership of 130 organizations.
Aftermath
The merger created a single global network intended to coordinate humanitarian, development, and advocacy work among church-related organizations.
Sources2 sources
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