By God’s grace, the publication of When Helping Hurts in 2009 marked a defining moment for Chalmers and the field of Christian economic development ministry. As thousands of people read the book and began exploring how they might engage differently, they began to ask, ‘Do you have practical tools to help people without hurting?’
That simple question sparked a movement within Chalmers, resulting in the creation of training resources that now equip thousands of ministries worldwide, including partners like Compassion International, HOPE International, and Prison Fellowship, reaching almost 300,000 people in 2025.
Our suite of over ten products is designed to build the capacity of local ministries to engage in transformational work. Our most influential products include:
- RESTORE savings group training equips churches and Christian ministries in the Majority World to form church-based savings groups. The vast majority of these groups are composed of women living in extreme poverty.They save and pool their resources to meet critical family needs like health expenses and school fees for children. In many cases, members develop small businesses that improve their wellbeing even further.
- In the U.S., Faith & Finances builds capacity among ministries to implement financial literacy training to help people restore relationships and improve their finances. Faith and Finances has helped over 25,000 thousand people overcome the obstacles that keep people trapped in poverty.
Over the last year, we have conducted a rigorous review of our entire product suite. As we listen and learn from our partners, we are preparing our products for the next level of influence and scale. In the coming year, we will be better positioned to reach more ministries and people, including those that haven’t heard about Chalmers yet.
We hope you will join us as we pursue new avenues to expand our reach and influence. Whether you are called to implement a product, support Chalmers, or support an organization in your community as they implement our products, we look forward to exploring new ways to co-labor with you.
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