Rules of Engagement for Collaborations and Partnerships

Throughout its history, Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA) has from time to time been the subject of
allegations that question our professional associations and coalition memberships and suggest that we are
directly engaged in issues that are contrary to Catholic teaching. CCUSA takes these questions seriously,
conducts thorough investigations into issues that come to our attention, and uses our findings to determine
an appropriate course of action.

First and foremost, CCUSA is a Catholic institution - a manifestation of the Gospel call for charity and justice
for all people. As such, remaining faithful to Catholic teaching is not a matter of choice; rather it is essential
to our identity .Our Catholic values, teachings, and traditions are the foundation for the work we do at
CCUSA. The ultimate rationale for the work of CCUSA and our member agencies is our belief in the
dignity of the human person and the sanctity of human life.

As other Church institutions have done for decades, CCUSA engages in coalitions focused on reducing
poverty in our nation, which sometimes includes working with groups that do not share our Catholic
values. We do this with the mutual understanding that CCUSA cannot and will not endorse public policy
statements, or support any advocacy or related efforts, on issues that are inconsistent with Catholic teachings
and ethical practices. In addition, as part of our engagement in coalitions and partnerships, we require the
inclusion of a disclaimer which clearly indicates that policy statements made by the coalition do not
necessarily represent the positions or beliefs of any of the individual organizations.

CCUSA is a national network of more than 160 local Catholic Charities agencies, and while we provide
leadership and support to our members, Catholic Charities agencies operate independently of CCUSA and
work under the authority of the local Bishop who is responsible for interpreting Church teaching and
applying it in the context of his own diocese.

If you have additional questions on CCUSAs rules of engagement for collaborations and partnerships, please
contact Maureen Varnon, Senior Vice President, Communications and Marketing, at
mvarnon@CatholicCharitiesUSA.org




Last Updated October 2014