About CCHD

The Catholic Campaign for Human Development is the domestic anti-poverty, social justice program of the U.S. Catholic bishops.

Its mission is to address the root causes of poverty in America through promotion and support of community-controlled, self-help organizations and through transformative education.

Founded in 1969, CCHD's pastoral strategy is empowerment of the poor through a methodology of participation and education for justice, leading toward solidarity between poor and non-poor as impelled by the Church's biblical tradition, modern Catholic social teaching, and the pervasive presence of poverty in the United States. This ministry for justice is rooted in our baptism and faith commitment.

The grants, economic development, and education for justice programs of the Campaign, implemented in collaboration with local dioceses, are supported from an annual collection in U.S. Catholic parishes.

-Approved by the USCCB-CCHD Committee
November 1992

Each year in all the parishes of the Archdiocese of Indianapolis during the month of November we take up a second collection to provide funding for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development.  During its 36-year history, CCHD has provided more than 7,800 grants to 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. In addition, hundreds of smaller projects are funded through the 25 percent share of the CCHD collection retained by dioceses. The projects' successes and the relationships developed have significantly changed the lives of the poor in our country.

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