About us

Partners in Aid was established in 1962 to provide support for struggling rural communities in India and Bangladesh. Initial projects involved shipments of livestock from Australia in order to improve the quality of local stock and thus provide improved food supplies for these communities.

During the 1980s Partners in Aid’s policies expanded to include community health and economic development. Current activities are facilitated through partnerships with locally registered, in-country non-government organisations (NGOs). During the 1990s we also received AusAID NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP) subsidies for projects in India, Bangladesh and Vietnam.

Partners in Aid currently undertakes project work in the Philippines, Sri Lanka and India. We are a member of the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID).

The organisation is managed by a Board of Directors who meet up to 12 times a year. During the early days, our office had two paid staff. Since 1995, all work has been undertaken on a purely voluntary basis in Australia by directors and supporters, thus ensuring that funds raised are directed at those who have much less. This has consistently meant that at least 90% of all funds dispersed were forwarded to overseas partner organisations. In 2023, a slight increase in administrative costs due to information technology improvements meant disbursements fell slightly to 88%. The Board is committed to improving the funds provided to projects in 2024.

Our registered office is now in Narre Warren, Victoria and we have supporters and sponsors across Australia.

A Policies and Procedures document, set in motion in 1999, details the polices and procedures of our organisation. This is a working document which is reviewed regularly. You can review our documents on the resources page.

Our mission

To support sustainable projects in developing countries by partnering with NGOs to enable communities to build their capacity in education, health, environmental sustainability and income generation.

Volunteers

Board Directors

Dr Cecily Neil (Chair)
Sophia Gerakios (Secretary)
Wilaine Pis-o (Treasurer)
Lyn Pickering
Ruby Dubash
John Gougoulis
Silvia Hope
Fr Philip Alesin
Julie Kirk
Carley Russell
Richard Buchta

Project Advisory Group

Dr Cecily Neil
Lyn Pickering
Dr Anne-Marie Maltby
Michael Oates
Silvia Hope
Julie Kirk
Dr Roger Hughes
Glenys Hughes
Richard Buchta

Formal registrations

ABN	50 006 946 550
Consumer Affairs Victoria	11274.13/14334
DGR Status	Yes
GST registration	Yes

Partners in Aid acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land where we work and live. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging. We celebrate the stories, culture and traditions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elders of all communities who also work and live on this land.