Frequently Asked Questions

Caritas Australia is the international aid and development agency of the Catholic Church in Australia, working in Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Pacific and in First Australian communities. We are part of the international Caritas Internationalis network, the second-largest humanitarian network in the world, which supports emergency aid and grassroots programs in over 200 countries and territories. 

Caritas is a Latin word meaning love and compassion. 

The Compassion Hub is Caritas Australia’s year‑round online fundraising platform that empowers individuals, schools, parishes, workplaces and community groups to create their own peer‑to‑peer fundraising campaigns in support of vulnerable communities around the world. 

To inspire compassionate action by enabling supporters to raise funds that support Caritas Australia’s long-term development, emergency response, and advocacy programs worldwide. 

You can fundraise at any time of the year. The Compassion Hub is open 365 days a year, allowing you to create or support fundraisers whenever inspiration strikes. 

The Compassion Hub supports a wide range of fundraising ideas. You can choose from several categories to help you get started: 

• Get Active – Take on a physical challenge such as running, swimming, hiking, cycling, or creating your own fitness goal. 

• Host with Heart– Organise a community gathering such as a morning tea, trivia night, school event, car wash, bake sale, parish appeal or workplace fundraiser. 

• Your Passion, Your Way – Use a personal skill or hobby to create a meaningful fundraiser. Examples include art, music, crafting, cooking, gaming, or anything you love. 

• Gifts of Love – Dedicate your birthday, wedding, anniversary or special occasion by asking for donations instead of gifts. 

• Fundraise for an emergency – Select a particular emergency to fundraise for, or choose to support our Emergency Response Fund. You might pick an emergency you have a personal connection with, or simply want to help communities facing disaster or conflict. Your support delivers vital humanitarian aid that saves lives.  

• Create a tribute -Celebrate the life of a loved one by creating a tribute page for donations in lieu of flowers for their funeral or memorial service. Invite friends and family to honour their memory in a meaningful way that continues their legacy of compassion. 

Donations made through the Compassion Hub are not country or program specific. These themes (Get active for change, Host with heart, Gifts of love, In Memory) support Caritas Australia’s long‑term development programs and our general emergency response fund, helping us respond where the need is greatest. 

The stories featured on the website are real examples from communities we work with across development and emergency settings. 

If you would like your fundraising to support a specific emergency, you can select one of our active emergency appeals (e.g. Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine) when registering.  
 

Your contribution will go towards supporting people where the need is greatest. 

Yes. If you want to raise funds for a specific emergency (such as Gaza or Sudan), please ensure you select that emergency appeal when registering. 

Funds raised through a specific emergency profile are directed to that emergency response, supporting urgent humanitarian needs such as food, clean water, shelter, and medical assistance. These funds also contribute to Caritas Australia’s Emergency Response Fund, helping us maintain readiness and respond rapidly as new crises emerge. 

As a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID), Caritas Australia is committed to transparency, accountability and integrity in all appeals and adheres fully to the ACFID Code of Conduct for Emergency Appeals. Find out more about ACFID Code of Conduct for Emergency Appeals. 

We strive to keep our administration and fundraising costs as low as possible so that the maximum amount of funds can go to those in need. We have a fundraising ratio of 17% (as percentage of total income) and an administration ratio of 3% (as percentage of total income), with 80% of funds going to support programs. 

Our financial statements are externally audited (to the same standards which apply to Australian companies) and are available with our annual reports here. 

You can share your page via email, SMS, or social media using the share buttons on your dashboard. You’ll also receive a unique URL you can copy and paste anywhere you like. 

The platform provides pre-written email templates, social media posts, and resources to help you ask for support. Personal stories and heartfelt messages tend to inspire more donations. 

In a world that’s moving away from 'cash' - we recognise that you are still bound to receive some donations of support in the form of cash or cheques - if you do - don't stress!  

All you need to do is deposit the monies into your personal bank account, and once the funds have settled - make the donation to yourself online on behalf of the person who supported you. This eliminates any need to post cash in the mail (as this is unsafe) and also allows you to ensure your donor receives a tax-deductible receipt.

Any questions regarding this - feel free to give us a call on (02) 7254 5120 

Each fundraising page includes a unique QR code that links directly to your page. Download it from your dashboard and add it to posters, newsletters, school bulletins, or social media for easy mobile donations. 

Sponsoring yourself is a great way for you to kickstart your fundraising. It will not only show your supporters that you're committed to the cause, but you will have also broken the ice by going first!  
 
You’ll be given the option to make a self-donation while registering – or to make one after registration, simply head to your dashboard and select 'Personal Donation'. 

Yes. All donations of $2.00 and over are tax deductible and you/your supporters will receive a tax-deductible receipt via email.  

All donations are processed securely online through your fundraising page. Funds go directly to Caritas Australia—there’s no need for you to handle money unless someone gives you cash or a cheque.  

Yes. Bank transfer is a safe and efficient way to make a donation to our work.  We recommend you email us at fundraising@caritas.org.au or call our friendly Supporter Care team at 1800 024 413 and they would be happy to assist you in making your donation over the phone. 

You can deposit the cash donation through our online “bank your funds” process or bring/send the cheque to Caritas Australia. We recommend entering the donor’s details so they can receive a tax receipt if eligible. 

Yes. You can collect cash or cheques at events or in your community, then bank them through our offline donation process so they are added to your overall fundraising total. 

No—The Compassion Hub is an all-year platform with no set fundraising deadlines. However, we do recommend that if you have any cash or cheques to deposit that it be done no later than 30 days after the completion of your fundraiser.  

In a world that’s moving away from 'cash' - we recognise that you are still bound to receive some donations of support in the form of cash or cheques - if you do - don't stress!   
 
All you need to do is deposit the monies into your personal bank account, and once the funds have settled - make the donation to yourself online on behalf of the person who supported you. This eliminates any need to post cash in the mail (as this is unsafe) and also allows you to ensure your donor receives a tax-deductible receipt. 

Your timely contributions help us to act quickly in providing support for the communities that need it most. Thank you for your support in our mission.

Click “Forgot password” on the login page and follow the prompts. If you still need help, contact our support team.

You can edit your page at any time via your dashboard. If you’d like to close or delete your page, contact our team and we’ll assist you. 

No worries, we can help! 

For any fundraising-specific queries, our friendly Community Fundraising team is just a reply away! Just send us an email at fundraising@caritas.org.au. You can also give us a call on (02) 7254 5120.   

We’re always happy to help!