Caritas Australia is an Australian Catholic agency for development cooperation and humanitarian aid.
Caritas Australia Limited | |
 | |
| Predecessor | 1962–1964: Catholic Church Relief Fund (CCRF) |
|---|---|
| Established | 1964 |
| Type | Nonprofit |
| Location |
|
| Coordinates | 33°55′33″S 151°11′18″E / 33.92581°S 151.18824°E |
| Origins | Catholic Social Teaching |
Region served | worldwide |
| Fields | social work |
CEO | Kirsty Robertson |
Main organ | board of directors |
| Affiliations | Caritas Oceania, Caritas Internationalis, ACFID |
Revenue (2023) | 45.8 million AUD[1] |
| Expenses (2023) | 54.6 million AUD[1] |
| Funding | private donations (62%), one-off government grants(32%), other (7%)[1] |
| Staff | 137[2] (in 2023) |
| Website | www |
Formerly called | 1964–1966: Catholic Overseas Relief Committee (CORC) 1966–1996: Australian Catholic Relief |
Caritas is a member of Caritas Internationalis and its region Caritas Oceania, as well as of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID).
History
editCaritas Australia's predecessor was the Catholic Church Relief Fund (CCRF), established in 1962 and whose name was changed two years to Episcopal Committee for Catholic Overseas Relief (COR). Later that same year, in 1964, the Catholic Bishops started the Catholic Overseas Relief Executive Committee, whose members were lay people. It became the Australian Catholic Relief in 1966 and Caritas Australia in 1996.[3]
In the 1960s, parish communities in Adelaide, Sydney and Wagga Wagga were collecting funds during Lent for missionary projects and activities to reduce poverty abroad. This practice, named "Project Compassion", developed over the years and is still Caritas Australia's main fundraising appeal.[4]
Work
editIn 2022 and 2023, Caritas Australia worked with 90 partner organisations in 36 countries in Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Middle-East. Its projects supported around 1.5 million persons in need.[1]
Caritas Australia works according to the localisation principle, meaning it supports local partner organisation and communities abroad and does not implement activities directly through country offices.[5]
In Australia, Caritas works with Indigenous Australians on programs that focus on strengthening cultural identity and spirituality, intergenerational healing, livelihood opportunities, as well as on advocacy.[6]
External links
edit- Official website (in English)
References
edit- ^ a b c d "Annual Report 2022-2023". caritas.org.au. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Caritas Australia Limited". Australian Charities and Not-for-Profits Commission. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ Rice, Robert (1 March 2019). "James William Gleeson, Archbishop Of Adelaide, PhD Thesis, College Of Humanities, Arts And Social Sciences, Flinders University" (PDF). Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Caritas Australia celebrates 60 years of love and compassion in action". therecord.com.au. 26 April 2024. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Caritas Australia". workplacegivingaustralia.org.au. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "Caritas Australia and Kinchela Boys Home Aboriginal Corporation call on government to close the gap for First Australians". catholicoutlook.org. 12 June 2022. Retrieved 29 April 2024.