Frequently Asked Questions
Is CNEC an acronym for something?
CNEC stands for Christian Nationals’ Evangelism Council. Originally the Chinese Native Evangelistic Crusade, the organisation began in China in 1943 and involved the radical notion, in a colonial era, of partnering equally with national Christian workers. See Our History page of the website for full details. Today the name is used in conjunction with Partners International, the alliance based name for our sister entities in the US and Canada.
What is the meaning behind CNEC’s logo?
Our logo is intended to illustrate people and relationships and capture our Chinese beginnings. We have chosen the Chinese character 'Ren' which means 'person' for our logo. The character has been placed in a ring representing the world and the theme of unity. The character divides the ring into three segments, representing the 3-way relationship between CNEC, Australians and overseas Christian partners. We have chosen the colour red for CNEC for its meaning in Chinese culture - passion, love and abundance - recognising that our Lord loves human kind with such abundance. The black of the character is bold and reflective of the Chinese calligrapher's ink.
Where is CNEC Partners International based?
CNEC is headquartered in Five Dock, Sydney. We also have an office in Box Hill, Melbourne, and volunteer representation around Australia. View Contact Us page for more details.
Does CNEC have political or religious affiliations?
CNEC is a Christian mission and aid organisation. While partnering with Christian organisations in developing regions, any development and humanitarian activities funded are undertaken in a no-strings-attached fashion.
I've never heard of CNEC - can it be trusted?
CNEC has been in existence since 1943. Because of our ethos of focusing on our partners in developing regions, rather than promoting our own brand, many Australians have never heard of us. We are a minnow in the crowded pool of Christian aid and/or mission organisations. With a long tradition of volunteer inputs, we endeavour to stretch the funds we receive for the greatest efficacy. As an approved Deductible Gift Recipient (via our Aid Fund), a registered charity and a registered Australian company, CNEC has operational obligations it must fulfill. CNEC is externally audited every year and produces an Annual Report which is posted on our website. The highly qualified directors of our company are all volunteers and contribute many hours at the level of subcommittee and board meetings.
Does CNEC receive funding from governments?
CNEC does not receive funding from the Australian government.
Can I volunteer with CNEC?
CNEC has been built on volunteer contributions since its inception in Australia. We welcome expressions of interest to contribute across the spectrum of our activities – including administration, marketing, project management, advocacy within churches, school and other work places, state and territory representation. View our Volunteer page for more information.
Can I go overseas with CNEC?
We regularly encourage and support our partners through short term team visits and helping to arrange for longer term stints for individuals. View our Short Term Teams page for more information.
Our Website
What benefits are there when "signing up" on the CNEC website?
When you sign up on our website you will have access to our Members Area. This private section of our website allows you to easily update your contact information; review your giving history; manage which e-communications you would like to receive; indicate your particular interests; and change your login details at any time. By keeping your profile information up-to-date you are also helping us to keep our database accurate. If you make an on-line donation you can access the e-receipt (pdf format) at any time via your giving history.
Is my profile information secure?
Yes, because you will use a unique username and password your personal information is not available to other website users. You can change your password at any time by updating your login details in the Members Area of our website, which is only available when you are logged in.
Do I have to be logged in to make a donation?
No, anyone can make a donation on-line at any time without being logged in to the website. If you are already on our database our staff will match your on-line donation to your database record. If you are a new donor, our staff will create a unique record for you on our database.
What are the benefits of being logged in to the website when making a donation?
Whilst not compulsory, there are benefits of being logged in to make a donation. If logged in, the fields on donation forms will be pre-filled according to your profile information and this will save you time. It also helps as a reminder to update your profile if your contact details have changed. In addition to this your donation will be automatically connected to your record on our database and reduces the time required for staff to process donations.
Fundraising
How do I know that the money I donate actually reaches the local partner ministries?
CNEC has the legal responsibility to ensure funds are applied to agreed activities overseas. Our partners provide regular reports, audited accounts and our staff visit all partners on a minimum bi-annual schedule.
How are CNEC's projects funded?
We are primarily dependent on support from the Australian public to support our local partners in developing regions.
How can I raise money for CNEC?
There are many ways that you can get involved with CNEC and raise money for our partners’ ministries. View our How to Get Involved section of the website. You can host a LUMO screening to support HEAL Africa or promote our Harvest of Hope catalogues at your church or work place throughout the year. If you’re having a special celebration (wedding, birthday, baby’s christening, anniversary) we can set up a private donation page on our website and instead of getting more ‘stuff’, you’ll help others who really need the basics – clean water, education, access to health care – and/or a chance to hear the Good News about Jesus! Feel free to contact us with your wish list!
How can my school get involved with CNEC?
Schools can get involved with CNEC in many ways. You can invite CNEC to your school to give a presentation about our work, raise money to purchase an item from our Harvest of Hope gift catalogue, join a 150+ China English teaching team to go to DuAn in July each year or host a screening of the film LUMO. View our How To Get Involved page and/or contact us to discuss options.
CNEC’s work
Where does CNEC partner?
As part of the global Partners International Alliance, we provide the opportunity to support 122 partnerships in 58 countries. For more information on the 28 partners in 11 countries where we are the lead agency, go to the Where We Work section of our website.
How does CNEC decide what partners and areas to support?
Within CNEC we have a Partnership Subcommittee which meets quarterly to review our current partnerships and their budgets, discuss and recommend new initiatives and continually seek to improve the quality of our own Australian contributions. Regular monitoring visits form part of our commitment to due diligence. We consider future partners who are geographically located near existing succesful partnerships in order to facilitate helpful networks/exchange of learning between the partnerships and to keep monitoring costs down.