CARE is one of the world’s largest independent relief and development organisations working with some of the world’s poorest people in 93 countries throughout Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East and Europe.

CARE Australia is an Australian charity and international humanitarian aid organisation fighting global poverty, with a special focus on empowering women and girls to bring lasting change to their communities. Today, we undertake activities in 24 countries in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, as well as responding to humanitarian emergencies. We manage seven of CARE International’s Country Offices – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu and Vietnam.

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.

CARE Australia was established in 1987 by former Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. Malcolm Fraser, AC, CH. CARE Australia grew through the 1990s and developed a reputation for delivering timely and effective disaster assistance and development programs to those in need. To find out more, please visit our History page.

CARE is a confederation composed of 14 national members – Australia, Austria, Canada, Denmark, France, Germany-Luxembourg, India (Affiliate Member), Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Peru (Affiliate Member), Thailand, the UK and the USA – forming one of the world’s largest independent, international emergency relief and development assistance organisations.

In Australia, CARE’s offices are located in Canberra and Melbourne. To find out more, please visit our Contact Us page.

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 views. To find out more, please visit our Mission and Vision page.

We believe supporting women and girls is one of the most effective ways to create sustainable outcomes in poor communities. Equipped with the right resources, women and girls don’t just lift themselves out of poverty, they change their families, communities and society for the better, breaking poverty cycles. Our approach means that we include women in our programs, not that we exclude men. To find out more, please visit our Gender equality page.

Men and boys play a critical role in women’s empowerment. From brothers and fathers, to teachers and community leaders, we work with men and boys to break down gender stereotypes and challenge social norms to help bring lasting change to poor communities. To find out more, please visit our Gender equality page.

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 the Australian Government and the United Nations. To find out more, please visit our Funding page.

Yes. We rely on the generous support of the Australian public to fund our work and we build on this support by attracting additional funds from institutional donors such as the Australian Government and the United Nations. Visit our Funding page for more information.

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.

Yes. CARE volunteers provide invaluable support for our work in the developing world, providing valuable time, energy and dedication towards achieving a world of hope, inclusion and social justice. Visit our Volunteer section for more information.

Yes! We use social media to promote CARE news, stories from our projects, events and job vacancies.

You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, and LinkedIn.

CARE Australia is committed to ensuring the accessibility and transparency of its procedures and systems. We welcome feedback and concerns in relation to our operations and conduct. Please contact us for further information, and see CARE Australia’s Complaints Policy for more.

In 2019/20, 91 cents of every $1 spent went to our programs. The remaining funding is spent on administration and fundraising, which is vital to support and expand our work. To find out more, please visit our Where the Money Goes page.

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. To find out more, please visit our Annual Reports page.

There are many ways that you can get involved with CARE and raise money for our life-saving work. To explore how you can volunteer or fundraise for CARE, please visit our Get Involved page.

You can also donate to CARE’s efforts to eliminate poverty.

If you’re planning a fundraising event for CARE Australia, please contact fundraise@care.org.au and we’ll be happy to discuss how we can support your event. Any group wishing to use CARE’s name or logo on any promotional materials must first seek approval from CARE Australia prior to usage. To find out more, please visit our Fundraise page.

Schools can get involved with CARE in many ways: you can hold a fundraising event such as a bake sale, raise money to purchase an item from our CAREgifts catalogue or get involved in our Walk In Her Shoes challenge. To find out more, visit our CARE at your school page.

Contact us on 1800 DONATE (1800 020 046) or email info@care.org.au to update details such as payment method, donation amount, address or preferred method of contact.

Remembering CARE Australia in your will is a generous gift that ensures we can continue to help the world’s most vulnerable communities into the future. For more information, please visit our Bequests page.

CARE no longer accepts donated goods, as experience has shown that this is usually not cost effective and creates logistical difficulties. 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 contribute a cash donation, which can then be used to buy what is most needed in the region concerned.

You can make a general donation, or visit our Current appeals page.

Today, CARE Australia undertakes activities in 25 countries in the Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Africa, as well as responding to humanitarian emergencies. We manage seven of CARE International’s Country Offices – Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Vanuatu and Vietnam. To find out more, please visit our Where we work page.

Ninety-five per cent of CARE staff are local to the country they work in, so our staff speak local languages and understand the needs of local cultures they work in. To find out more, please visit our Who we are page.

We start by assessing needs in consultation with the local communities, before then designing programs that effectively respond to these needs. We also work with local authorities, governments and other non-government organisations to ensure that we co-ordinate and mutually support each other’s efforts. Our evidence-based approach ensures the most effective poverty-fighting outcomes. Visit our Learn section for more information.

CARE responds to humanitarian emergencies – such as drought, flood, earthquakes and conflict – by meeting the immediate needs of those affected. Our longer-term response helps people rebuild their lives and restore their livelihoods in the months and years to follow. To find out more, visit our Emergencies page.

CARE’s projects are regularly monitored and evaluated during their implementation and appropriate adjustments are made to ensure our efforts are maximised. Once complete, projects are then comprehensively evaluated with lessons shared among CARE Country Offices. To find out more, visit our Lessons and Impact page.

Each project is based on the goal of improving the capacities of local people so that, once projects are complete, development will be sustainable and the benefits of the project continue. To find out more, please visit our Lessons and impact page.

CARE Australia holds full accreditation status as a partner in the Australian Government’s NGO Co-operation Program. To maintain accreditation, CARE Australia’s systems, policies and processes are regularly and rigorously reviewed by the government. Our status as a Partner Agency reflects the Government’s confidence in CARE Australia’s professionalism, accountability and effectiveness. To find out more, visit our Codes of conduct page.