Catholic Campaign for Human Development

Catholic Campaign for Human Development & Christian Sharing Fund

Overview

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD) is the domestic anti-poverty, social justice program of the U.S. Catholic bishops. It was founded in 1969 with two purposes. The first purpose was to raise funds to support "organized groups of white and minority poor to develop economic strength and political power." The second purpose was to "educate the People of God to a new knowledge of today's problems . . . that can lead to some new approaches that promote a greater sense of solidarity."

The CCHD philosophy emphasizes empowerment and participation for the poor. By helping the poor to participate in the decisions and actions that affect their lives, CCHD empowers them to move beyond poverty.

During its 35-year history, CCHD has funded more than 4,000 self-help projects developed by grassroots groups of poor persons. Each year CCHD distributes national grants to more than 300 projects based in local communities. Additional projects are funded by a share of the CCHD money collected that is retained by the diocese.

The Christian Sharing Fund (CSF) is the local counterpart program to CCHD. Through CSF, financial support is provided to local community-controlled organizations of low-income Minnesotans working to find solutions to injustice and poverty. CCHD and CSF funds have helped to financially support more than 250 self-help organizations in our Archdiocese.

Collection

Catholic parishioners are the principal source of CCHD’s funds. The CCHD collection is held annually on the weekend before Thanksgiving.

To ensure the successful collection of funds in the Archdiocese, you can help by doing the following:

Explain CCHD to members of your parish and by urging them to give generously.
Make sure the promotion materials and envelopes are distributed.
Invite a member of the parish social justice committee or a representative of a funded group to speak for 3-5 minutes at the Sunday masses in order to tell the story of CCHD.
The local CCHD office can assist you in promoting the collection in your parish or answer any questions about CCHD. Call 651-291-4477 for more information.

Materials for the collection are available from the national CCHD site.

You can also support the Christian Sharing Fund by participating in planned giving. More information on planned giving is available here or by calling 651-291-4477.

Grants

Application materials for CCHD are available on the national CCHD site and include:

Information on the funding process, policies, and timeline

Information on the two types of grants: Economic Development and Community Organizing

Eligibility quizzes for both Economic Development and Community Organizing grants.

Information for current grantees.

Application materials and criteria for CSF are available here.

Current Grants

CCHD

African Assistance Program
African Immigrant Community Organizing Project aims to support community organizing on behalf of African refugees and immigrants and increase the individual and collective capacity for self sufficiency of people of African descent in Minnesota.

Centro Campesino
Organizing for Change: Migrant Agricultural Workers and Rural Latino Communities Exercise their Rights
Centro Campesino seeks to effect systemic change by empowering migrant farm laborers and their families to exercise their human rights leading to an improvement of their working conditions.

Family and Children’s Service
Jobs and Affordable Housing Coalition organizes low-income people and people of color to build the power necessary to address issues of economic and racial injustice. Their efforts include developing leaderships skills, increasing civic engagement, and challenging exclusion from public decisions.

Resource Center of the Americas
Latino Organizing Project has two distinct components: worker organizing around labor and immigrant rights, and parent organizing around making schools more accessible to Latino families. The goal of this project is to strengthen the social and economic power of Latino immigrants in our community.

Neighborhood Development Center: The Neighborhood Development Center, Inc., (NDC) is a community-based non-profit organization that works in the low-income communities of St. Paul, Minneapolis, surrounding suburbs, and Greater Minnesota. They help new entrepreneurs develop successful, community-based businesses while also helping community groups build stronger neighborhood economies. As a result of their past accomplishments and national respect, NDC was awarded a rare 2-year grant through the Catholic Campaign for Human Development this year. Read more about the NDC's success

Chrisitan Sharing Fund

Somali Action Alliance works to maximize the potential of the Somali community and create change. There are immense problems that lie before this refugee community. The Alliance is building an organization to advocate on issues important to the community.

Minnesota Alliance of HUD Tenants: Tenant Advocacy Project works at the local, state, and federal levels to preserve and improve affordable, quality housing, to promote tenant involvement and empowerment, and to protect tenants’ rights. The project has made contacts over the last two years through the Outreach Campaign, with over 100 potential new tenant leaders. The project will concentrate on increasing the involvement of these leaders and strengthening their their ability to advocate on local, state and federal levels.

Immigrant Youth Farming and Nutrition Program: Youth Farm and Market Project strengthens support for new immigrants’ traditional cultures and diets. This project works with immigrant youth to grow, use, and distribute culturally appropriate foods in ecologically sound ways. It will also seek a revision of USDA food guidelines, which currently do not recognize the unique needs of new immigrants’ diets.

MIRA

Latino Empowerment through Community Organizing empowers the Latino immigrant community living along the Bloomington 494 corridor to 1.) make changes in local legislation and policy related specifically to law enforcement and school procedures; 2.) develop Latino businesses; 3.) improve relationships with the local community in general.

Grant Archive

2001-2002
2002-2003
2003-2004
2004-2005