About ACT Development

What is ACT Development?

ACT Development is a global alliance of churches and related organisations aimed at eradicating poverty, injustice and the abuse of human rights. This alliance focuses on long-term development, building on the emergency response work already undertaken by ACT International.

Basic facts about ACT Development

The ACT Development alliance :

• was formed in February 2007

• is currently composed of 70 organisations working in long-term development

• has a combined staff in excess of 14,000 people

• works in more than 150 countries

• works with a combined annual budget of approximately $1,400,000,000

What does ACT Development do?

Participants in the Alliance:

• commit themselves to high quality development work based on shared values

• meet together at the national, regional and global level to reflect on their development work, share analyses, and plan cooperative activities

• undertake joint development programmes

• work collaboratively in advocacy

• will share a family name (through co-branding their organisation’s name with the name of ACT) and enhance the visibility of ecumenical work in development.

What doesn't ACT Development do?

ACT Development is not a mechanism for transferring funds between donor and implementer. In this way, it is different from ACT International which mobilises resources for implementers to use in emergencies. Organisations in ACT Development will continue to decide who they support or receive funds from and bilateral funding will continue.

Who can participate in ACT Development?

Participants must be:

• either a member church of the World Council of Churches, a department of a member church or an organisation affiliated with at least one member church through governance

• mandated to work in development and have a track record of significant engagement in this work

• either a national, regional or global body

• adhere to the principles and policies of ACT Development

• pay an annual participation fee and supplementary contribution as appropriate

• have audited accounts

How ACT Development relates to other ecumenical bodies

Global bodies

ACT Development and ACT International are currently working towards unifying to become a single global alliance with a common name for work in emergency relief, development and advocacy. See the ACT newsletter, which is produced jointly by ACT Development and ACT International, for more information.

The World Council of Churches (WCC) has a seat on the ACT Development Executive Committee, which it currently convenes and moderates.

The ACT alliances work closely with the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance.

National bodies

At the national level, participants are committed to working with existing ACT forums and WCC roundtables.

Where does ACT Development work?

ACT Development organisations are working in more than 150 countries. See the world map showing where we work.

Detailed information about ACT Development

A detailed Guide to ACT Development and application form is available to download from this site.
Further information can be requested from one of the contacts.