A tale of two organisations

The discussion explores what causes mission drift by comparing organisations with similar founding stories but very different long-term outcomes.
Two major nonprofits, founded by Presbyterian ministers after trips to Asia, both used child sponsorship to care for children and introduce them to the love of Jesus.
Over time, these organisations diverged: Child Fund International changed its name from Christian Children’s Fund after acknowledging it had programmatically moved away from its Christian faith, while Compassion International refused to remove its “In Jesus’ name” identity despite growth pressure.
This contrast shows how conviction and intentional decisions are required to remain mission true, even when financial growth is at stake.
Mission drift is also seen in business, comparing J. Howard Pew and Henry Crowell, whose foundations followed very different paths despite similar Christian convictions and generosity.
The key takeaway is that small, ongoing decisions determine whether organisations stay mission true or slowly drift away over time.