CAFOD Guidelines

CAFOD Guidelines
___________________________________

General policy
The Catholic Fund for Overseas Development (CAFOD) is the official organisation of the Bishops' Conference of England and Wales through which the Catholic Church in England and Wales shares its resources with sister churches and other partners throughout the world in order to work with them to combat poverty, hunger, disease and suffering. CAFOD, as part of the mission of the Church, thus shares in the process of integral human development and the building up of the Kingdom of God on earth.

CAFOD, like the Church itself, does not align itself with any particular political party or ideology. It cannot support any programmes or projects directed towards violence.

CAFOD operates through funding programmes and projects. Measured against the world's needs, the resources of CAFOD are not large so it must necessarily restrict its operations to certain types of projects. CAFOD gives priority to projects which help people to become responsible for their own development.

CAFOD's work overseas falls into two categories:

a) development programmes and projects aimed at self-sufficiency;

b) disaster and short-term relief work which may be necessary before the real work of development can begin

The purpose and aim of CAFOD's development programme and projects is to help people to help themselves. The following are therefore important requirements:

a) The project should involve the local people to the greatest extent possible;

b) The project should benefit people regardless of race, creed or ideology;

c) The project should be concerned with the causes as well as the conditions of poverty, hunger disease, ignorance, and suffering

Projects submitted to CAFOD should have the approval of the local church as a norm, irrespective of whether the project is directly church-related or not. Conditions vary so widely that the local church is the best judge of a particular situation. This is the one expression of the partnership that exists between CAFOD and the local church.

CAFOD works in partnership with the following:

a) the supporters in this country;

b) the project holder responsible for the project;

c) the people involved in the project.

CAFOD engages in education programmes in this country to enable people to understand the nature and causes of underdevelopment and the Christian response to it in the light of the Church's teaching

CAFOD works in close collaboration with other development agencies both in the industrial countries and in the countries of the Third World. CAFOD attaches great importance to ecumenical collaboration.

CAFOD should pursue a policy of monitoring projects so that there is clear assurance that funds have been used for the purpose for which they were granted.

Project policy

1. DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS

a) Food production

Projects which lead to greater self-sufficiency, particularly through co-operative effort: those which especially benefit marginal or small farmers, nomads, landless labourers and inshore and inland fishermen.

b) Preventive Health

Projects for the training of rural health workers, the promotion of community-based health programmes, dispensaries, the co-ordination of voluntary health services.

c) Vocational Training

Projects which make available within and for the community suitable technical skills, training in appropriate technology, organisational skills and communications media.

d) Community

Projects which support community organisation for development and improvement of living conditions, e.g. sanitation or self-help schemes which contain an educational component.

e) Non-formal Education

Projects which promote the training of community leaders and which provide people with the basic skills essential for full participation in the life of their community, e.g. literacy and competence in co-operative management, training in Christian social teaching.

f) Block Grant

Where Bishops' Conferences have established a development agency which acts in partnership with other local churches, CAFOD is authorised to give a block grant to that agency on condition that the CAFOD contribution is used in accordance with the Trust Deed and these Guidelines and that no indefinite future commitment is made.

g) Personnel

CAFOD is authorised to approve payment of salaries to persons in developing countries who are needed for the execution of CAFOD project purposes.

2. SPECIALISED FIELDS

a) Emergency Aid

CAFOD will collaborate with those organisations which are the best equipped to deal with a specific disaster or emergency.

b) Refugees

Refugees are frequently not a temporary phenomenon arising from short-term emergencies. Besides relief programmes CAFOD will concern itself with projects which increase refugees' possibilities to help themselves and which assist them in alien and other hostile environments.

c) People with disabilities

The training of people with disabilities. Provision of rehabilitation schemes which are both therapeutic and vocational in their training.

d) Medical Grants

In certain circumstances CAFOD provides medicines and equipment which are unobtainable locally in co-operation with suitable organisations experienced in this field.

e) Student Grants

These would be given to indigenous people who need specialised training to equip them for their work in development for the good of their local community. It is preferred that they train in their own or a nearby country.

f) Poverty Grants

These are small grants in special cases where there is no true development project but where a small amount would provide great assistance.

g) Volunteer Programme

CAFOD makes grants to organisations sending volunteers overseas to train local personnel.

3. WHAT IS EXCLUDED

The limitations of funds and the need to spread them as effectively as possible means that certain categories must be excluded.

a) Hospital construction

b) Primary and Secondary education;

c) Any heavy construction costs;

d) Housing schemes except those which are an essential part of a community development programme.

e) The construction of churches, chapels, seminaries etc. Where there is a 'development' content as well in the application a grant is given consideration;