Supporting PWRDF is one way of enacting several of the Anglican Marks of Mission: responding to human need by loving service, seeking to challenge violence and unjust structures while working for peace and reconciliation, and safeguarding the integrity of creation while working to sustain and renew the life of the earth. These marks of mission are consistent with PWRDF’s objective of “working towards a truly just, healthy and peaceful world.”
However, Anglicans support the Primate’s World Relief and Development Fund (PWRDF) for varied reasons: to assist others experiencing a natural disaster, to help alleviate poverty or health issues, to teach youth about stewardship and helping others, or to make charitable donations through a reputable organization. In this article, I will explain why I choose to support PWRDF.
PWRDF Plans Before it Plants
PWRDF chooses effective strategies for its endeavours: it identifies a significant human need in a developing country, creates a strategy for alleviating that need, looks for matching donors, and then partners with local agencies in the target country. This approach has allowed PWRDF to work through a small staff in Toronto with minimal overhead, and to be one of the ten most cost effective Canadian charitable organizations. It also allows local organizations to deliver these projects in ways relevant to the particular needs and situation of their local community.
PWRDF Doesn’t Put All of Its Eggs Into One Basket
Although people donated generously to relief efforts for Ukrainians displaced by the current Russian invasion, PWRDF is not forgetting others in dire need. The $360,000 donated in the first month of the war supported Ukrainians seeking safety in Hungary and Moldova, as well as those needing medical attention in and around Kyiv. At the same time, PWRDF allocated $360,000 for humanitarian relief efforts in four parts of the world where needs are high, looming conflict threatens to further displace people, and crisis is preventing families from staying healthy: Myanmar, Iraq, the Tigray region of Ethiopia, and Syria.
PWRDF is Not a One Pony Rodeo
PWRDF believes in a collaborative approach, so it works in partnership with Canadian and international church and community organizations, such as the Humanitarian Coalition and ACT Alliance, an organization of 140 international Christian organizations working in areas of high need. Membership in the Humanitarian Coalition makes PWRDF eligible for matching government and Canadian Foodgrains Bank grants, while membership in ACT Alliance enables funding to be distributed immediately via partners located in the affected area.
PWRDF Gets Your Goat!
Yes, PWRDF gets your gift of a goat to families in Malawi, Zimbabwe, or Cuba. Though associated with Christmas, the World of Gifts program is open all year long and helps create a sustainable future through projects like preserving seeds in Bangladesh and supporting “smart” dairy farming in Kenya.
PWRDF Shepherds Its Sheep
Lastly, PWRDF teaches its volunteers through webinars, prays for its programs and volunteers at bi-monthly prayer meetings, and is open and transparent with donors about how their investment is spent.
