Spotlight On

Mission:
Concern Worldwide was established in 1968 as a non-denominational, voluntary organization committed to helping people living in absolute poverty achieve major improvements in their lives that last and spread without ongoing support from Concern.

Concern works in 29 countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, and is dedicated to maintaining an uncompromised standard of transparency and accountability. Concern has a 4-star rating from Charity Navigator, and 92% of the organization's annual budget is used to support field projects. 100% of our Asia Disaster Appeal will be used to support field projects in India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka.

Background:
Almost four decades ago, Concern Worldwide was established to respond to the Biafra Famine of 1968. While natural and man-made disasters have brought us into nearly all of the 29 countries in which we work, our programs have significantly expanded to include education, health, HIV/AIDS, and livelihood security (agriculture and microfinance) projects.

When Concern enters a community, it partners with local people and local organizations to incorporate the views of all key stakeholders during the development of culturally and technically appropriate projects. Concern then stays with communities until projects are self-sustaining. Below is a snapshot of some of Concern's work:

The UN has declared Concern a 'Lead Agency' in the international community's response to civil war in Darfur, Sudan. Today we provide a variety of services to over 330,000 displaced people, including Community Therapeutic Care (CTC), a nutrition program for over 2,000 children. CTC was pioneered by Concern in 2002 with Valid International, and is a decentralized, curative and preventative approach to the treatment of moderately and severely malnourished children. CTC has been replicated by other aid agencies around the world, and is referenced in Requests for Proposals by USAID.

In 1999 Concern began a new initiative in Bangladesh called the Child Survival Program (CSP), which shifted focus from direct provision of maternal/child health services to building the country's network of existing health services. In 2004 Concern saw the completion of a five-year independent evaluation of CSP that proved its success and revealed impressive results: immunizations for children aged 12-23 months increased from 45% to 80% due to enhanced CSP follow-up. Today, CSP is impacting the lives of over one million people; is being replicated in Rwanda where it has given rise to innovative ideas for health insurance; and it has been showcased in the USAID 2004 U.S. Congressional Report on the Child Survival and Health Program.

In 1994 Concern developed a best practice approach to tracing "Orphaned and Unaccompanied Children" during the Rwandan genocide. More than 30,000 children were traced through the program, and each was placed safely with an appropriate caregiver. The program was adopted by the Rwandan government as official policy and has been replicated by other aid agencies around the world.

In 2004 Concern established a new, stand-alone, microfinance institution in Cambodia called the Angor Microfinance Kampuchea (AMK). Initiated several years ago as a network of over 160 village credit unions, AMK is now 18,000 members strong. With the mission of providing efficient financial services for the poor, AMK has a portfolio of $843,000, and 80% of its clients are women.

Current Programs:

• In 29 countries around the world:

  Emergency Response
  Education
  Health
  HIV/AIDS
  Livelihood Security (agriculture and microfinance)
  

• In India, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka:
  

  The Asia Disaster Appeal and Response Project is working to benefit nearly 200,000 people through the distribution of emergency kits; clearing of debris and rebuilding of homes, community buildings, and roads; water and sanitation projects; and microfinance projects for both fishermen and newly widowed women.

• The Global Concerns Project:
  

  Global Concerns is a US-based education project for high schools that uses classroom materials, extracurricular activities, and guest speakers from abroad to inform and encourage youth to think critically about international affairs.

Funding Needs:
Concern is still looking for support for its Asia Disaster Appeal. 100% of funds raised for the Appeal will be re-granted directly to those tsunami-response projects in most need. Also, Concern is always happy to discuss funding opportunities for the hundreds of programs being implemented in 29 countries around the world. We are prepared to accept individual donations and grants from private or corporate foundations. We are also open to discussing cause-related marketing opportunities.

Every month, the "Spotlight On" highlights the activities of a different 501(c)3 nonprofit organization located in the tri-state region (NY, NJ, or CT). The selection of organizations for the "Spotlight On" is based on criteria such as programmatic interests, geographic focus, and size, to ensure the broadest possible representation of the region's nonprofit sector. While the Foundation Center strives to showcase the diverse range of organizations in the area, selection for "Spotlight On" does not constitute an endorsement by the Foundation Center.

If you'd like to see your NPO in the "Spotlight," please use this submission form to send us a profile of your organization. Or e-mail a description of your organization, following the above format, to nyweb@foundationcenter.org with "Spotlight Submission" in the subject line.