About CARE
What does CARE International do?
CARE International is an international humanitarian charity fighting global poverty, operating in over 100 countries around the world. We work around the globe to save lives, defeat poverty, and achieve social justice.
Are you a registered charity?
Yes. CARE International UK’s registered charity number is 292506.
Are you a religious organisation?
We are non-religious and non-political, allowing us to deliver humanitarian and development assistance to anyone in need regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, age, religion, political view or sexual orientation.
Why do you put women and girls at the centre of what you do?
The majority of those who live in absolute poverty are women and girls. We place special focus on empowering women and girls because we know that we cannot overcome poverty until all people have equal rights and opportunities. Equipped with the proper resources, women have the ability to lift themselves, whole families and communities out of poverty.
How do I know where my donation goes?
We are incredibly grateful for the trust people place in CARE International UK when they donate. Donations will fund our work fighting poverty and injustice, and help to fund CARE’s general support and running costs. We take our responsibility to spend those funds wisely and with the maximum impact extremely seriously. We have strong due diligence processes for how funds are spent. We have regular audits of our development work, and we investigate all alleged or actual frauds, losses or incidents and report them to the funder, in our annual report and where required, to the Charity Commission. Please contact us directly if you would like further information.
Does CARE work with local organisations?
CARE works with local partner organisations, as this is one of the most effective ways to reach the people most in need. We undertake due diligence on all partner organisations, including checks on financial stability and ability to meet our procurement and financial management standards. Partners report to us in detail on their expenses. When expenditure on our own programmes is audited this process also includes our local partners, to ensure we are fully accountable for all funds whether spent directly by CARE or on our behalf by a local partner. We are audited both internally and externally to ensure all funds and spending are accounted for.
Why is there still poverty?
In the past 25 years there has been huge progress in tackling poverty: the proportion of people living in extreme poverty has fallen by half. Money spent on aid has made a big difference to billions of people’s lives: better health, better education, better housing, better access to food and water. But there are still millions of people locked in poverty by unjust global policies and a lack of opportunities to work their way out of poverty. Much more still needs to be done to support them to tackle the injustices that keep them poor and improve the lives of their families and communities.
Fundraising and support
Can I volunteer for you overseas?
CARE International UK is unable to accommodate volunteers looking to travel overseas. You may find opportunities with Médecins Sans Frontières, British Red Cross or Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO).
Can I volunteer to help at events you are holding?
CARE International UK is currently running very few events. The only volunteers we may need are for our cheer station at the London Marathon. If you are interested, please send an email to events@careinternational.org
Can I donate goods rather than money?
CARE International has found that it is best to get goods either in-country or from neighbouring countries, rather than accepting gifts in kind. This saves us a lot of time and money because we don’t have to collect, pack, or ship the required items. It also means that we can provide culturally appropriate supplies. We prefer, therefore, to offer financial help to our partners so they can purchase supplies themselves. This also supports the local economy.
How can I donate towards your work?
Thank you very much for considering making a donation to CARE International UK. You can donate in the following ways:
- Through our website
- Phone our Supporter Care Team on 0207 091 6100 between 9am and 5pm to make a card payment
- Send a cheque, made payable to CARE International UK, to:-
CARE International UK
c/o Ashursts LLP
London Fruit & Wool Exchange
1 Duval Square
London E1 6PW - Via our JustGiving page
- Via our CAF page
Am I eligible for Gift Aid?
If you currently pay UK tax, you can tick the Gift Aid box on our donation pages. Your donations will qualify as long as they’re not more than 4 times what you have paid in tax in that tax year (6 April to 5 April). Gift Aid means charities get an extra 25p for every £1 donated. It is a scheme which allows charities and Community Amateur Sports Clubs to claim the basic rate of tax their donors have paid from HMRC. Gift Aid increases the value of donations by 25%, so it means even more money comes to CARE International UK – and it won’t cost you extra. The Gift Aid claimed will be used to fund the whole of CARE’s work.
Why does CARE run face to face fundraising?
Face to face fundraising is an effective way of us securing the donations we need to fund poverty-fighting projects. We ask supporters to sign up to a direct debit, a convenient method of donating which provides a predictable long-term income we can rely on.
Our fundraisers help raise awareness about the way we react during times of humanitarian crises as well as our longer-term work to tackle poverty and social injustice across the globe.
Can I raise funds for CARE International UK by holding my own event or taking part in a challenge?
We are very grateful to people who wish to raise funds and support our work. If you are holding an event or taking part in a challenge to raise funds for CARE International UK, you can create your own fundraising page on JustGiving by clicking on Fundraise for us on our JustGiving page. Once you have done this, share your JustGiving link with as many people as possible so that they can support you and your fundraising. Please also let CARE know that you are supporting us by sending an email to events@careinternational.org and we will publicise your fundraising through our social media pages. We will also send you a fundraising guide, a poster and an “in aid of” logo.
How do I change my contact details with you?
Contact the Supporter Care Team, either by phone on 0207 091 6100 (Supporter Care option), by email on supportercare@careinternational.org or by Live Chat which is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm.
How do I update/cancel my direct debit?
Contact the Supporter Care Team either by telephone on 0207 091 6100 (Supporter Care option), by email on supportercare@careinternational.org or by Live Chat which is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm if you wish to update the amount, change your bank account details or cancel your regular payment.
How do you protect those who wish to support the work of CARE International UK but are vulnerable either through disability or their particular circumstances?
Our Vulnerable Circumstances policy sets out how we help supporters who may be vulnerable. This policy is regularly reviewed.
How can I make a complaint?
Our Supporter Care Team are here to answer any questions you may have and to help make your support of our work as easy as possible. However, it you are unhappy with something that has happened during your transactions with CARE, you can make a complaint, in the first instance, to the Supporter Care Team either by telephone 0207 091 6100 (Supporter Care option) or email at supportercare@careinternational.org. We will acknowledge your complaint as below:
- Email: Within one working day
- Telephone: Immediately
- Post: Within 48 hours
The complaint will then be investigated by the Supporter Care Team or manager responsible and we aim to resolve it within 5 working days.
If the complaint is not resolved, it will be escalated as follows:
- First escalation: Head of Individual Giving/Head of Lendwithcare. Time to resolve: 5 days
- Second escalation: Director of Fundraising, Partnerships and Communications. Time to resolve: 5 days
- Third escalation: Chief Executive. Time to resolve: 5 days
If the complaint is not resolved at the third escalation, it can be progressed to the Fundraising Regulator.
CARE also provides an anonymous ethics line which staff and anyone outside the organisation, anywhere in the world, can use to report wrongful conduct. Visit the CARE Line website for more information.
