FAQs

General
Fundraising
CARE's work

General 

Is CARE an acronym for something?
CARE began in the United States in 1945 when it sent food parcels to Europe. The name stood for 'Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe'. As CARE's activities broadened, this was changed to the 'Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere'. Today the name is used in its own right rather than as an acronym.

What is the meaning behind CARE’s logo?
CARE’s brand mark – the community of hands – symbolises our humanism, and evokes the concepts of self expression and industriousness. The circular shape suggests the holistic and collaborative nature of CARE’s work and our global scope, as well as unity and diversity. The earth-toned colour palette conveys warmth, optimism and a grounded sensibility, combining to illustrate the spirit of working together, and the power of what is possible when people unite around a common goal. 

Where is CARE based?
CARE is a confederation composed of 12 national members – Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany-Luxembourg, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Thailand, the UK and the USA – forming one of the world's largest independent, international emergency relief and development assistance organisations. India is an affiliate member of the confederation and Peru is in the process of becoming an affiliate member.

In Australia, CARE's offices are located in Canberra and Melbourne. Contact us

Does CARE Australia have political or religious affiliations?
CARE Australia is non-religious and non-political, allowing us to deliver humanitarian assistance to anyone in need regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, age, religion or political view.

I've never heard of CARE - is it accredited?
CARE is one of the world's largest independent relief and development organisations working with some of the world's poorest people in 84 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe. CARE Australia is one of Australia’s leading overseas development agencies.

As a registered charity, CARE is fully accredited by the Australian Government Aid Agency (AusAID) and adheres to its stringent standards of accountability. CARE is a signatory to international codes of conduct and the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) Code of Conduct which sets out standards on how organisations should be managed, how they communicate and how they spend the funds they raise. CARE is externally audited every year.

The Principal Executive Corporate Services manages the compliance framework for the various regulatory and legislative environments that CARE operates in and the framework is  reviewed and monitored by the Senior Management Team and by the Finance and Audit Committee.

We have endorsement by the Australian Taxation Office as a Deductable Gift Recipient and as an income tax exempt charity (see the ATO ABN register).

The following are registration numbers for Charities – Fundraising legislation in each Australian state and territory.

Read our Annual Report for more information.

Does CARE receive funding from governments?
CARE receives funding from governments and bodies such as the Australian Government and the Asian Development Bank. Visit the funding section for a full list.

Why does CARE focus on women?
We believe supporting women and girls is one of the most effective ways to create sustainable outcomes in poor communities. CARE’s experience shows that a development project focused on women and girls will benefit everyone, but a development project that focuses on everyone may not benefit women and girls. This means that we include women in our programs, not that we exclude men. Learn more

Can I volunteer for CARE?
CARE Australia does not maintain a formal volunteering program; however opportunities do arise from time to time. We occasionally accept volunteers to assist us with administration or specific projects in both our Canberra and Melbourne offices on an as needed basis. We are also a key partner for two significant overseas volunteering programs, AYAD and VIDA. Visit our Volunteer section for more information.

Can I interact with CARE on social media?
Yes please! You can find us on Facebook, Twitter and we also have a blog that allows you to comment. We use social media to regularly post information such as news related to CARE, stories from our projects, events, answers to questions from our supporters and questions to our supporters. Please join us.

Does CARE have a complaints policy?
Receiving feedback from and responding to complaints from stakeholders is an important part of improving CARE Australia’s accountability. CARE Australia believes that any stakeholder has the right to raise a complaint, have that complaint addressed and receive a response for mistakes, wrongful actions or breaches of the codes to which CARE subscribes. CARE Australia's Complaints Policy applies to CARE Australia’s operations globally.

A complaint can be made by any supporter, partner organisation, community or individual with whom we work or any member of the public whether an individual, civil society organisation, government, company or other entity.

Ensuring that our stakeholders can hold us to account will improve the quality of our work. CARE Australia strives to be excellent in all that it does but recognises that this may not always be the case. When we make a mistake we want and need to be informed. We will use the information to endeavour to put things right and to help us to become more effective.

CARE puts in place formal mechanisms to gather, monitor and act on feedback from beneficiaries and other key stakeholders. Feedback may be positive or negative, but complaints can mean that things have gone wrong. These mechanisms give beneficiaries and local communities a safe and non-threatening way to raise grievances and allegations of harm and have them responded to. An individual or group who expresses a grievance against CARE will have his, her or their complaint investigated and acted on.

CARE Australia is committed to ensuring the accessibility and transparency of its Complaints Policy, procedures and systems for making a complaint, across the breadth of our work. Read our Complaints Policy for more information.

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Fundraising

Can I donate clothes, food or other supplies to CARE?
CARE no longer accepts donated goods, as experience has shown that this is usually not cost effective, creates logistical difficulties and often is not the most relevant way to meet local needs.

It is a CARE Australia policy that whenever possible we procure items in the country in which we operate, thereby supporting developing economies.

If you would like to help, we ask you to send a cash donation, which can then be used to buy what is most needed in the region concerned. If you wish to give money to a particular emergency, you can select this option when you donate. Donate now

How do I know that the money I donate actually reaches those most in need?
CARE Australia has direct operational responsibility for its programs. We have our own staff on the ground working with local partners and communities to directly deliver assistance. We plan, design, implement and evaluate projects with these local partners while retaining management and contractual control on all projects. This gives us a high degree of accountability and transparency. Visit the Where the money goes section for more information.

How are CARE's projects funded?
We rely on the generous support of the Australian public to fund our work. We build on this support by attracting additional funds from institutional donors such as AusAID and the United Nations, as well as project partners. Visit the Funding section for more information.

If I make a general donation, how is my money used?
Your general donation will be used by CARE Australia where it is needed most, whether this is providing food, safe water and sanitation, health services, education or livelihoods opportunities.

How much of the money CARE raises goes to projects overseas?
You can be confident you are supporting one of the most efficient  organisations of its type in the world. CARE strives to maximise the donations that go to our overseas projects, though recognises the role that administration and fundraising overheads play in the fight against poverty. In 2011/12 CARE Australia, 88 per cent of our expenditure goes to projects overseas. The remaining funding was spent on administration and fundraising that is vital to support and expand our work and bring our messages to the wider public. Visit the Where the money goes section for more information.

Why does CARE invest in administration?
Like all organisations, CARE’s work relies on administration spending. Our expert staff, strong accountability measures and world-class computer infrastructure all contribute to a better organisation and better aid outcomes. That’s why when a small fraction of your donation goes to administration, it’s not taking away from the life-changing work that we do – it’s supporting it.

How can I raise money for CARE?
There are many ways that you can get involved with CARE and raise money for our life-saving work. Check out the Get Involved section of this website to learn more about our events and challenges like Walk In Her Shoes. To find out about our current appeals, CAREgifts and CARE’s Empowerment Circle regular giving program, see the Donate section.

I want to hold a fundraising event for CARE Australia - can I use the CARE Australia logo to advertise this?
If you’re planning a fundraising event for CARE Australia, please contact info@care.org.au and we’ll be happy to discuss how we can support your event. Any group wishing to use CARE Australia’s name or logo on any promotional materials must seek approval from CARE Australia prior to usage.

Can I donate to CARE by setting up a gift registry?
Yes, to set up a gift registry through CARE is easy. Visit our CAREgifts website for more information, or if you have any further questions, please contact us

How can my school get involved with CARE?
Schools can get involved with CARE in many ways. You can invite CARE to your school to give a presentation about our work, raise money to purchase an item from our CAREgifts catalogue or get involved in our Walk In Her Shoes challenge. Visit our CARE at your school section for more information.

I am a regular donor - how do I update my details?
Call CARE Australia on 1800 020 046 or email info@care.org.au to update details like your payment method, donation amount, address or your preferred method of contact.

I would like to leave a bequest to CARE - how do I go about this?
Remembering CARE Australia in your will is a generous gift that ensures we can continue to help the world’s most vulnerable communities. For more information, visit our bequests section. 

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CARE’s work

Where does CARE Australia work?
For a full list of the countries where we work and the projects we are undertaking, go to the where we work section of this website.

How does CARE decide what projects and areas to support?
We start by assessing people's needs in consultation with the local communities. We then design programs that respond to these needs. We also work with local authorities and government to ensure we have their full support.

Over 90 per cent of CARE staff come from the countries in which we work, so the staff speak local languages and understand local culture. Each CARE project has a director who will oversee the project from within the country and bring in specialists from other countries to provide training as needed. Generally, these are likely to be the only people involved with the project who will not be country nationals.

How is a project designed?
CARE's aim is for each project to be designed by a broad team, including technical specialists, CARE's national staff, and the communities who participate in and benefit from the project. Research is done at the beginning to ensure that local needs and priorities form the core of the project's activities.

Is there ongoing evaluation of projects?
CARE’s projects are regularly monitored and evaluated during their implementation and appropriate adjustments are made to ensure sustainability. Upon completion, projects are evaluated to determine their impact and effectiveness. Lessons learned are shared with other CARE Country Offices and staff through workshops, policy documents and the CARE International network.

CARE works to maximise efficiencies by creating models that can be replicated in other countries and other situations while retaining our focus on sustainable development. Learn more about our project evaluation.

How do CARE's projects have lasting effects?
Each project is based on the goal of improving the capacities of local people so that, after CARE completes the project, development will be sustainable and the benefits of the project will continue. To achieve this, the needs, preferences and the beliefs of project participants are always central to project design and planned outcomes. Communities are often directly involved in the provision of labour and materials, which not only provides additional skills but also encourages ownership of the subsequent improvements in community services.

How does CARE work in emergencies?
CARE responds to humanitarian emergencies – such as drought, flood, earthquakes and conflict – by meeting the immediate needs of those affected. The initial emergency response can include food, shelter, clean water, sanitation facilities and medical care to those who need it most. The longer-term response helps people rebuild their lives and restore their livelihoods in the months and years following the event.

CARE also works with at-risk communities to help them prepare and plan for emergencies. 

We partner with local aid agencies and community groups, tapping into local knowledge and making effective use of local expertise. Learn more about CARE in emergencies.

If you have any other questions, please contact us.

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