Who We Are
What We Do
We are the global humanitarian arm of the Seventh-day Adventist Church—part of the 20-million strong Adventist community, with hundreds of thousands of churches globally and one of the world’s largest integrated healthcare and education network.
We deliver relief and development assistance to individuals in 118 countries including here in New Zealand. We serve people regardless of their ethnicity, political affiliation, gender, or religious association.
By partnering with local communities, organisations, and governments, we are able to deliver culturally relevant programs and build local capability for sustainable change.
Where we work
Our work touches millions of lives in more than 118 countries around the world. Our on-the-ground approach allows immediate assistance in times of crisis and true partnership with the communities we serve. To learn more about New Zealand funded projects, visit our project page.
served
Our People
ADRA is people – staff, volunteers, supporter and project participants working together to make amazing things happen.
Our highly experienced leadership team works together to design, monitor and implement transformational projects that help people thrive. None of this would be possible without the amazing volunteers and others who partner with us. You can read more about our people in our Annual Report.
Join with us in restoring communities by working with us, volunteering your time or joining a supporter circle.
Our Board
Our board oversees the direction or the organisation and monitors performance against the strategic plan.
It’s overall responsibility for the management of risks and compliance with legislation. It determines operating policy, approves plans and activities and appoints and approves the appointment of key personnel for the ADRA New Zealand office.
Our History
The Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) began as a department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church – a global movement of Christians committed to demonstrating the love of God in real and practical ways.
We see the needs and opportunities present in today’s world and believe that the church, with its strong networks, ability to mobilise volunteers and other resources, its commitment to justice and drive to love and care for people who are suffering, has been placed in a position to bring about wide-spread, positive social change.
Since the beginning, we’ve been driven to work with our creator to restore His ideal of a world in which all people can thrive.
A brief history of ADRA
1956 – Established as Seventh-day Adventist Welfare Service (SAWS) with a focus on shipments of emergency relief supplies.
1970 – Mission broadened from disaster relief into programs leading to long-term development.
1973 – Name changed to Seventh-day Adventist World Service to reflect a move into community development, not just welfare.
1978 – SAWS established a local office to assist people in the South Pacific.
1984 – Name changed to Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) and community development work rapidly increased.
1994 – ADRA New Zealand was established in 1994 and has since worked in over 30 countries around the globe, supporting millions of people living in poverty and crisis.
Today we are:
Fuelled by Faith
We’re the official humanitarian agency of the Seventh- day Adventist Church. Our faith fuels what we do and how we do it – faith that ifound in a loving God, who created all people in his image to thrive. Our faith drives us to inspire and collaborate with others in the pursuit of justice, love and compassion for all, and in doing so unlock the potential in people to live as God intended. This means we don’t seek short-term answers, but longterm solutions that deliver lasting change to entire communities.
Extensive Network
We believe amazing things happen when people work together for good. As part of the 20-million strong Adventist network we have unparalleled levels of connection around the globe. This gives us the potential to collaborate with and mobilise the power and expertise of one of the world’s largest, and finest, integrated healthcare and educational network — which includes tertiary institutions, hospitals, clinics, and the professionals that lead them. Thanks to this extensive, global network we’re able to impact more lives, more quickly.
Locally-Led
We aren’t the solution – we help others find theirs. Our local staff work with communities from the beginning, ensuring relevant and sustainable programme utilise the knowledge and resources already on hand. Our approach ensures change happens from the grassroots up, while allowing us to bring the best global innovations to the local level.
Dependable
The trust of the communities we work with, our staff, global partners and donors forms the foundation of everything we do – their trust in us powers what we do. We’ve built a reputation for getting things done the right way, and often in places others won’t go. We sustain this by maintaining high levels of integrity and transparency in all that we do. We don’t cut corners or compromise on what really matters, that’s why we’re trusted from the ground up, and why other organisations seek us out to work on their behalf.
Corporate Information
Charitable Status
ADRA New Zealand is a registered charity of the New Zealand Charities Commission.
Accreditations
ADRA is fully accredited with the New Zealand Government’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The stringent accreditation process provides the New Zealand Government and New Zealand public with the confidence that ADRA is a professional, well-managed, community-based organisation capable of delivering successful development outcomes.
ADRA New Zealand is a member of the New Zealand Council for International Development (CID), adherent to the CID Code of Conduct and have staff who are members of the Fundraising Institute of New Zealand.
ADRA is also an organisational Sphere member and comply to their standards.
Privacy Policy
Read our privacy policy for more information.
Feedback & Complaints
Read our complaints policy for more information.
Feedback and complaints from donors and the public can be sent to:
The Complaints Officer
ADRA New Zealand
PO Box 24-111
Royal Oak
Auckland 1023
[email protected]
