General questions about CAFOD

What does CAFOD stand for?

CAFOD stands for Catholic Agency for Overseas Development.

How many countries does CAFOD work in?

CAFOD works in more than 60 countries across the world.

What does CAFOD do?

CAFOD raises funds from the Catholic community in England and Wales, the UK government and the general public.

CAFOD uses these funds to fund development programmes, which help to lift people out of poverty and improve living standards.

And in emergencies, we provide immediate, life-saving relief and stay on to help people rebuild their lives.

How much does CAFOD collect each year?

Our total income in 2006/07 was £52.1 million, three-quarters of which came from supporter donations.

Who funds it?

CAFOD is funded mainly by the Catholic community in England and Wales, but also by the UK government’s Department for International Development, the European Union and by organisations such as Comic Relief, the Disasters Emergency Committee and other Catholic development and relief agencies.

Is CAFOD part of the Caritas International network?

Yes. CAFOD is the UK representative of the global Caritas network, a federation of 170 international Catholic aid agencies. Visit www.caritas.org for further information.

Does CAFOD work closely with other charities such as Christian Aid?

CAFOD works in partnership with many other charities – through networks such as the Jubilee Debt Campaign, the Trade Justice Movement and the Disasters Emergency Committee.

In Britain and Ireland, CAFOD works especially closely with Catholic overseas charities, SCIAF in Scotland and Trocaire in Ireland (both Caritas members). It also has a particularly strong relationship with Christian Aid.

Wherever it is possible and beneficial to collaborate with other organisations to achieve a common goal, CAFOD does so.

Why doesn’t CAFOD have charity shops like OXFAM does?

CAFOD has traditionally raised money from within the Catholic community, from churches, schools and other Catholic institutions.

With the exception of one shop in Liverpool run entirely by volunteers, CAFOD does not reach the wider public through shops because they require much time and energy to organise.

Other fundraising methods have proved, on the whole, to be more effective for CAFOD.

see also

If none of the above covers your enquiry, you can contact us directly

take action

Jobs & volunteering Do you want to use your skills in a global team tackling injustice and poverty? You could play a vital role in our work

Campaigning Thousands of people campaign with CAFOD and its partners across the world to tackle the causes of poverty and injustice. Join them - by taking action today.

Big Deal: Ali blogs about peace initiatives in Kenya Meet Ali from Birmingham, who recently went to Kenya to meet young people bringing peace to their communities troubled by violence