What is the ARDF?

The Diocese has mentioned “ARDF” multiple times in recent newsletters. But what is it?

The Anglican Relief and Development Fund has been around since 2004, but with this long name it can sometimes be confusing to know who they are and what they do. Thankfully, their mission can be explained by their acronym: ARDF.

Anglican

First, they are Anglican. There are over 85 million Anglicans around the world so it makes sense to leverage this massive network of believers. By working through local Anglican churches in more than 40 countries, they provide support for churches to meet the needs of their communities through tangible acts of compassion. 

Relief

Relief is the one place ARDF works both domestically and internationally by resourcing churches that are providing relief to survivors after a disaster.  If there are no Anglican churches in the region, they get referrals from Anglicans and then partner with like minded churches to get relief to the people who need it most. ARDF prioritizes working through churches because they are the ones who aren’t going anywhere after the crisis “ends” and are the ones investing in long term relationships. 

Development

Community Development projects are where ARDF invests most of their resources because sustainable projects help communities to flourish over the long term. Their team in North America does not decide which projects to fund. Instead, a board of Anglican leaders from the Global South approve their largest projects. ARDF contributes by bringing a rigorous system of monitoring and evaluation by an independent researcher. This creates a level of accountability to each project which in turn leads to projects that are sustainable and have a long-term impact. ARDF sees their role not only as resourcing projects, but also supporting churches to maintain healthy partnerships with their existing partners.

Fund

Finally, ARDF is a Fund. ARDF is not the hero, the local leaders on the ground are! When a community sees positive change, it's important for them to turn to the local church. ARDF recognizes the value of the local church in transforming communities though changed lives and changed hearts, knowing the local church will be in the community long-term. But to support the local church through disaster response or development projects, ARDF needs the financial support of those in North America. You can join their mission by donating to relief, development, or both! Stay in touch by signing up for their newsletters to receive exciting updates on the work of the local church all around the world! Donate to ARDF here!