CAFO 2023 Prospectus

It is beautiful to see what happens when God’s people join in a vision larger than any one organization could achieve alone.

“The field of orphan care, foster care and adoption enjoys a rare unity and strategic leadership – led by the Christian Alliance for Orphans (CAFO). CAFO facilitates shared initiatives involving many of the best organizations in the field, all working together to inspire and equip Christians for effective response for vulnerable children. Unified efforts like that bring far greater impact than when organizations work in isolation or competition.”

From article of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability, titled “Christian Investment in Orphan Care and Adoption Continues to Climb Dramatically.”

The Christian Alliance for Orphans unites the expansive field of Christian commitment to the most vulnerable children for collective impact that will last.

Through CAFO, more than 200 respected Christian organizations and a global network of churches join in this coordinated action. We seek to “leave logos and egos at the door” to accomplish far more together than any of us could alone.

Our shared initiatives inspire, equip and connect Christians for effective adoption, foster care, and global ministry.

Ultimately, we work to see every child experience God’s unfailing love through His people.

2022 Year in Review

The Bible never downplays grief. Lament touches most every page. But there is always more to the story.

Scripture always gives pain and sorrows their due … but never the final word.

When God is present, every loss hides a seed. This hope is not merely for repair, wishing things might return to the way they were before. Much more! It is the anticipation that God can and does turn loss into occasion for gain

Jesus put it this way, “Unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it remains a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 12:24)

In God, what feels like death is never a burial; it is always a planting

There’s more. God’s planting work is not only in us. It is also through us. Because our Father is a Planter, we can become planters, too.

We cannot make trees, but we can participate in their cultivation. We cannot create life, but we can join God to till and sow and irrigate ground that seemed irredeemable.

So we labor with Him to see children who have been wounded welcomed and nurtured toward health … to see families that appeared lifeless now growing in strength … to see church ministries sprouting and organizations rising together.

All of this brings new life to the hurting and glory to God. We are so grateful for how you have chosen to be part of this in 2022 -- thank you for joining with God and the entire CAFO community through your prayers and generosity and faithful love.

As God’s people reflect His heart in action, no one is left the same.

We invite you to participate in some of the most strategic initiatives coordinated by the Christian Alliance for Orphans.

Each investment will be highly leveraged with significant support committed by foundations, sponsors, and other funders.

The critical support that helps unlock it all comes from people like you!

The More Than Enough is a community united by our faith and committed to helping churches care for children and families in foster care. Facilitated by CAFO, the More Than Enough community has a shared strategy to provide more than enough well-supported families for every child in foster care— including foster, kinship, adoptive and biological families. Learn more at morethanenough.cafo.org.

2022 HIGHLIGHTS

In 2022, the More Than Enough Support team expanded its work of supporting local foster care networks nationwide. In addition to equipping more than 110 leaders through intensive courses and coaching cohorts, the Support Team helped strengthen local foster care networks through practical resources, tools, and personalized guidance. We also facilitated a gathering of data and technology leaders in the foster care space to identify opportunities for collaboration and alignment. Flowing from this gathering, the Support Team is coordinating a Shared Metrics Working Group that is recommending a core set of shared metrics that every community in the country can use to measure progress toward providing more than enough for children and families.

More Than Enough

For Children and Families Before, During, and Beyond Foster Care in Every County in the Country

2023 STRATEGIC GOALS

The MTE Support team will expand and deliver its full suite of training and support services nationwide, aiming to help start and/or grow at least 100 local foster care networks nationwide.

This will include:

1) Communications/marketing 2) Fundraising strategy 3) Data/technology 4) Network building

5) Church engagement and support

We also aim to launch the MTE “Better Together” Fund to offer competitive matching grants to boost local networks nationwide.

Orphan Sunday began in a small church in Zambia as a day to celebrate God’s special love for vulnerable children and how every Christian can make a difference. Today, this simple vision has grown into a powerful catalyst for year-round collaboration across the U.S. (known as Stand Sunday) and around the globe. Learn more at orphansunday.org and standsunday.org.

2022 HIGHLIGHTS

In 2022, Orphan + Stand Sunday aligned with CAFO’s Global Network and More Than Enough Initiatives to invite churches in the US and globally to raise awareness and reflect God’s heart for vulnerable children on November 13th.

Churches were equipped with a new Orphan + Stand Sunday Field Guide and other resources to engage in year-round community action so that every child can be embraced in a loving family, and no child in foster care has to stand alone.

We project that 2,000+ church services and local events championed the OS/SS message across more than 100 countries.

Orphan Sunday & Stand Sunday

2023 STRATEGIC GOALS

The reach and impact of Orphan + Stand Sunday continues to expand year by year. With a solid 21-year legacy, Orphan + Stand Sunday has entered a new season of opportunity to grow the campaign even more - with a special catalytic focus on inviting and strengthening local year-round collaboration. With observances in over 120 countries, we will continue to expand the reach of Orphan + Stand Sunday, raising awareness of the needs of vulnerable children and families in their communities.

ABOUT THE INITIATIVE

The CAFO Summit is an unforgettable gathering of leaders passionate for adoption, foster care and effective service to the vulnerable worldwide. It serves to both grow and to guide a true movement of Christians who are leading the church to be God’s answer for children who lack family.

2022 HIGHLIGHTS

More than 3,800 people joined us at CAFO2022 in Atlanta, Georgia from over 45 countries — 2,000+ in person and 1,800+ online through the Virtual Collaborate + OVC Applied Research and Best Practice Symposium - representing the largest number of CAFO Summit attendees to date.

CAFO2023 Summit

2023 STRATEGIC GOALS

Each $25,000 will help fund the volunteer infrastructure and instructor costs for CAFO2023 that makes it all possible.

Each $5,000 will provide scholarships for registration, meals and/or lodging for 15 adoptive and foster families, students and/or international leaders to receive all the learning, inspiration and connections that CAFO2023 has to offer!

$25,000 will enable us to package the very best elements of CAFO2023 to enable their use in local gatherings worldwide 1-month after.

The CAFO Summit also receives key underwriting from business sponsors. If you know a business that would be interested in supporting CAFO through Summit sponsorship, write to Elizabeth Wiebe at wiebe@cafo.org.

Access the audio sessions from CAFO2022

Learn more about the CAFO Summit: cafo.org/summit

2022 HIGHLIGHTS

The National Church Ministry Initiative exists to motivate, equip and connect churches nationwide in their efforts to grow effective and sustainable foster care, adoption, family support and global engagement CAFO’s work to support churches continues to evolve and expand through the integration of the National Church Ministry (NCMI) and the More Than Enough Initiatives. This year we had a unique focus on organizational and network leaders who are actively engaging churches in their community. While we continue to resource churches, we increasingly place special focus on equipping networks, nonprofits, and other ministries that work closely with churches to play a central role in helping build up effective churchbased ministries.

In 2022, we launched our first round of Church Engagement Leader Cohorts and were only able to accept half of the 80+ leaders who expressed interest in joining a small peer learning group of 10-12. We plan to run a second round of cohorts in early 2023.

Through cohorts, coaching and workshop environments - including church engagement sessions at CAFO2022 - we served more than 2,000 leaders in 2022

National Church Ministry Initiative

2023 STRATEGIC GOALS

The NCMI will continue to provide excellent support and resources to church ministries nationwide while simultaneously expanding its services through the “More Than Enough” Initiative. This two-pronged approach will serve both the individual church and leadership but will also help local networks and organizations to effectively engage and resource local churches in their communities. This model will help maximize efforts to mobilize more churches in collaborative work in foster care around the country while simultaneously strengthening the work of each organization and network.

We will provide substantive resourcing, training and coaching to over 1,500 church, organization and network leaders collectively representing - and thus impacting - 2,500 local church ministries. We will do this by providing a best-in-class tiered learning framework consisting of individual coaching, group cohort learning, on-demand courses and in-person conference workshops including a full suite of offerings for church and organizational leaders at CAFO2023.

CAFO unites its members in a powerful combined voice. From social media to radio to print, CAFO champions children the world often forgets.

2022 HIGHLIGHTS

Again this year, CAFO’s expertise helped shape news articles in major media outlets...provided counsel to Congressional offices and U.S. officials...and informed key national policy discussions. Meanwhile, CAFO’s united voice also helps believers across the field keep their work rooted deep in the Gospel -including the podcast series, Justice and the Inner Life, with 75,000+ listens to-date across more than 50 countries.

Advocacy & Education

2023 STRATEGIC GOALS

CAFO’s first focus is always the role of the church, not government, in caring for vulnerable children. But we also see every day how government policies carry immense impact on children for good or ill, including the ability of Christians to freely serve.

CAFO will continue to advocate for wise, effective policies in US foster care, international adoption, and global care for vulnerable children. We’ll also be a strong voice for the importance of faith-based organizations and the conscience rights of Christians serving in public systems.

Meanwhile, CAFO’s broad communications campaigns will aim to grow the reach of CAFO’s pro-adoption, pro-foster, pro-family messaging via traditional and social media in 2023.

Listen to the Justice + the Inner Life Podcast by visiting: cafo.org/podcasts

The CAFO Global Network develops thriving networks by investing deeply in the spiritual, professional and relational development of global leaders. These leaders, in turn, offer development, equipping and connection for local leaders and champions in organizations and churches in their midst, ultimately creating vibrant local collaborative communities.

2022 HIGHLIGHTS

CAFO Global Network equipped over 5,000 global leaders building networks of churches and NGOs in over 47 nations this year. From mutual learning through in-depth quarterly Virtual Collaborate sessions, to 23 locally-hosted Collaborate+ forums in 22 countries (gathering more than 1,900 local leaders in their communities), leaders of 53 local networks are equipping churches and NGOs to better serve vulnerable children and families in their communities.

Global Network

2023 STRATEGIC GOALS

Acting as a global backbone organization, the CAFO Global Network unites national backbone networks around the world through a shared Better Together vision: every child in a loving family, embraced within a collaborative community Affirmed by member networks, the Better Together vision focuses a global movement by providing common goals and shared measurements to achieve collective impact for vulnerable children and families in their own communities.

$30,000 will expand our regional coaching program into Latin America, add 5 new networks in unrepresented countries, and offer Spanish translation for resources and events.

$28,000 will create a Regional Shepherd program in Africa and Latin America, appointing a visionary leader for each region to cast the Better Together vision with churches, NGOs and governmental leaders. These Regional Shepherds will also offer pastoral guidance to support the soul health of network leaders through spiritual development cohorts and individual coaching.

$35,000 will provide matching mini-grants for member networks to gather more than 3,000 local leaders in 35 countries to discuss strategies and share success stories of Christians effectively caring for vulnerable children and families, united through locally-hosted Collaborate+ events that will be globally-connected via a hybrid Collaborate Global Forum in September 2023.

The CAFO Research Center helps improve the quality of care for orphans around the globe by helping child-serving organizations in more than 100 countries apply best practices and research through their programs.

Learn more at research.cafo.org.

2022 HIGHLIGHTS

In 2022, CAFO provided $40,000 in small grants to researcher/practitioner pairs to help them evaluate promising practices supporting better care for vulnerable children and families.

The Care Transition Accelerator Academy graduated its first cohort of Transition Coaches from 10 nations This two-year intensive program, which includes expert teaching, peer learning, and a one-year mentored practicum, prepares individuals to support programs in the process of transition from residential to family care.

The 2022 OVC Applied Research & Best Practice Symposium focused on supporting resilience in the transition to adulthood. In partnership with the CAFO Global Network, the new hybrid format drew more than 1,900 people in 30+ nations.

This year, the Research Center published seven peer-reviewed research studies in academic journals, all designed to boost understanding of critical issues in the field and faithbased contributions, including COVID response.

The Research Center

Applied Research & Best Practice

2023 STRATEGIC GOALS

Award $150,000 in competitive micro-grants to help Christian programs improve the quality of care they provide to vulnerable children worldwide. Every grant will be paired with expert support and training, best-in-class resources, and a vibrant peer learning community for the duration of the grant.

The Moving Towards Family Solutions course will guide residential programs in transition to family-based care for vulnerable children. This eight-module hybrid course will address key themes in transitioning models, culminating in the completion of a program-specific transition plan.

The first-of-its-kind Care Transition Accelerator Academy will train and certify coaches from nations around the world to support programs in the process of transition from residential to family care. This rigorous, two-year certificate program will include training from more than a dozen transition experts, evidence-based curriculum, a peer learning cohort, and a one-year mentored practicum.

The 10th annual OVC Applied Research & Best Practice Symposium will draw together researchers and practitioners from around the world. The Symposium unites these two critical communities that rarely interact, leading to mutual learning, partnerships, and better care for children and families.

The Development & Discipleship Initiative expands Christian adoption, foster and orphan care worldwide by helping child-serving ministries build more effective fundraising programs. In partnership with Mission Increase, this high-leverage investment provides world-class development training coaching and resources to CAFO’s 200+ member organizations. Participating ministries learn to shift from “transactional” fundraising to an approach that truly cares for and nurtures Christian givers as disciples of Jesus.

2022 HIGHLIGHTS

In the initiative’s third year, member participation increased as CAFO invested directly in helping expand the development programs of more than 125 organizations through teaching and coaching. An average of 203 people per quarter participated in the training and coaching opportunities offered by the Development & Discipleship throughout 2022.

95% of participants in the program reported coming away from their participation better equipped for the work of raising funds to support adoption, foster care and/or global ministry to vulnerable children and families. 95% of participants in the program also reported implementing at least one new best practice from each learning experience.

Development & Discipleship Initiative

2023 STRATEGIC GOALS

We aim to invest substantive fundraising training and coaching into CAFO member organizations in the following ways in 2023:

125 child-serving ministries participating in quarterly learning experiences (including workshops, webinars, online courses, and CAFO Summit sessions) grounded in a practical, biblically-based curriculum covering topics such as major gifts, communications, special events, fundraising leadership & strategy, acquisition, and more.

30 member organizations participating in group and individual coaching for leaders and development staff to help them apply teaching principles to the unique context and concerns of their ministry work.

Curating, creating, and sharing free fundraising content, tools, and resources, designed to provoke thinking, prompt discussion, reinforce learning, and drive participation in teaching and coaching opportunities.

We seek measured results demonstrating meaningful culture change in these organizations, from a “transactional” to “discipleship” approach to development, as well as a 10X ROI on the funds invested in this initiative (>$1.25 million in expanded funding for trained/coached organizations).

The need of our world can be overwhelming. But a single number matters more than any other...

It only takes one loving person to change the life of a child forever.

God’s people are rising for orphaned children and foster youth around the world.