This year Caritas Australia’s annual Lenten fundraiser has expanded to give the community even more ways to unite against poverty through online fundraising pages and new activities. 

Each year, 1,700 schools and 1,200 parishes across Australia take part through school and parish events that remain at the heart of Project Compassion. This year new fundraising options are on offer through a simple digital sign-up form enabling schools, parishes, individuals, groups, and organisations to set up live and shareable fundraising pages.  

For the first time a new challenge suited to individuals has been added: 

• The Long Walk for Water: A new self-defined 40-day walking challenge that you can take on as an individual, or as a team. The first 500 people to register for The Long Walk for Water will also receive a free T-Shirt as a reward for fundraising. 

Parishes, schools, groups, or organisations can also register for the following activities: 

• The Big Water Walk: This one-day event sees schools complete a walking challenge of their own design. Parishes can host a Big Walk for Water but should call the Project Compassion team for support. 

• Host a Lent event: Get together with your friends, family, workplace, school, or parish to set up a pancake Tuesday, games night or disco, or anything else you might enjoy. 

• Give it up for Lent: Unite as a parish, school, family, workplace, or as friends, and commit to giving something up. This could be coffee, sugary snacks or Netflix - whatever feels challenging to you.  

Leanne Langdon, Community Fundraising Manager at Caritas Australia said, “Project Compassion is over 60 years old, but it continues to move with the times. Those that want to fundraise online and share their efforts on social media will find it easier than ever to do so. Rest assured though that in-person community events and our iconic Project Compassion boxes are a mainstay that these digital offerings are designed to complement.” 

“We are also proud of The Long Walk for Water. Many walking challenges aren’t very inclusive, focusing heavily on distances covered when not everyone has the time or the physical ability to do that. With The Long Walk for Water, you or your team can decide what your challenge looks like, then simply commit to that for 40 days.” 

How to register:

As a school:

Each Catholic school is searchable on the Project Compassion schools sign-up page, enabling you to set up a school fundraising dashboard, under which teachers can create teams. More information on how to easily set up students can be found in the FAQs.

As a parish:

Each Catholic parish is searchable on the Project Compassion parish sign-up page, so a parish representative can easily set up a parish fundraising dashboard, under which the parish representative can create teams. More information can be found in the FAQs.

As an individual, group, or organisation:

You can easily register as an individual – from there one of your group or organisation can set up a team that the rest of you can join. More information can be found in the FAQs.