From Commitment to Compassionate Transformation
Impact Report 2025
International Charter for Compassion
Opening Reflection
The year 2025 asked much of us.
Across the globe, people found themselves navigating deep uncertainty—political upheaval, widening inequality, environmental distress, and the painful persistence of violence and displacement. Familiar structures felt fragile. Long-held assumptions were challenged. For many, the question was no longer whether change was coming, but who we would become in the midst of it.
At the Charter for Compassion, we witnessed this uncertainty not as a reason to retreat, but as a call to moral courage.
Moral courage showed up quietly and consistently in 2025: in young people convening across borders to speak honestly about justice and belonging; in educators choosing compassion as a foundation for learning; in artists, faith leaders, health practitioners, and community organizers creating spaces for healing and dialogue when division felt easier than connection. These acts may not have made headlines, but together they formed a powerful counter-narrative—one rooted in our shared humanity.
What became increasingly clear in 2025 is that compassion is not an abstract value or a distant ideal. It is a lived practice. And it is most powerful when it is community-led.
Throughout 2025, we saw communities stepping forward—not waiting for permission or perfect conditions—to respond to local needs with creativity, care, and collaboration. From Compassionate Cities and regional peace corridors to global youth initiatives and cultural programs, people moved from intention to action, from concern to commitment. Compassion became something practiced with one another, not delivered to one another.
It is within this context that we introduced Charter for Compassion 2.0.
Originally launched as a moral commitment embraced by individuals and institutions worldwide, the Charter has always invited people to recognize our interdependence and act accordingly. Charter for Compassion 2.0 builds on that foundation and carries it forward—marking a deliberate shift from awareness to transformation.
This renewed framework calls us to move beyond simply affirming compassion as a value and toward cultivating the skills, structures, and relationships that allow compassion to shape how we educate, govern, heal, create, and live together. It emphasizes inner work and collective action, learning and accountability, local leadership and global connection. Above all, it affirms that lasting change emerges when compassion becomes embedded in everyday practice and shared responsibility.
This Impact Report reflects a year of transition and growth—a year in which the Charter for Compassion continued to listen, learn, and evolve alongside the communities we serve. It offers stories, insights, and evidence of what becomes possible when people choose compassion not only as a response to suffering, but as a guiding force for transformation.
As you read these pages, I invite you to see yourself as part of this unfolding story. The work ahead remains challenging, but the path forward is clear: compassion, when practiced together, has the power to transform lives, communities, and the world we share.
With gratitude and hope,
Marilyn Turkovich
Executive Director
Charter for Compassion
We thank you for your contributions; they enable us to explore new possibilities and create solutions for the pressing challenges of our time. Let's explore the latest updates and learn how you can continue to be part of shaping a better tomorrow.
Photo by hayleigh b on Unsplash
Photo by hayleigh b on Unsplash
A Charter for Compassionate Transformation: From Inner Healing to Planetary Flourishing
The Great Turning
We, the global community of Earth, stand at a threshold moment in human and planetary history. The principle of compassion, which has always resided at the heart of all religious, ethical, spiritual and indigenous traditions, now calls us to a profound transformation, from separation to kinship, from charity to justice, from competition to cooperation and from human-centered thinking to universal awareness. We recognize that authentic compassion begins with the understanding that inner healing extends outward through just relationships, regenerative systems, and reverent care for all life. Compassion is both a deep awareness of suffering and a courageous commitment to transformation, addressing symptoms and root causes through intentional action and structural change.
Call to Transformation
We are called to make compassion a clear, luminous and dynamic force in our world as it awakens to greater interconnection and wholeness. Rooted in inner healing and manifested as justice, this expanded compassion can dissolve our perceived boundaries between self and other, human and nature, past, present and future. Born of our deep interdependence with all life, compassion is essential to human relationships and to the continuation of life itself on Earth. It is the path to collective healing and indispensable to the creation of regenerative economies, restorative justice and a thriving planetary community. We call upon all beings to join this great work of our time: the transformation of our civilizations from systems of domination to cultures of partnership, from economies of extraction to economies of care, from a patterned consciousness of separation to an expanded awareness of sacred kinship with all life.
The Living Promise
This Charter is our sacred promise to life itself, a commitment to embody the change we seek, to heal wounds we have inherited and to plant seeds of flourishing for generations yet to come. It is an invitation to participate in the greatest story ever told: the story of life awakening to its own sacred nature and choosing love over fear, cooperation over domination and healing over harm.
May our words become actions, our actions become culture and our culture become the foundation for a world where all beings can thrive in dignity, beauty, and beloved community.
Charter for Compassion 2.0: From Shared Values to Shared Practice
Charter for Compassion 2.0 represents a natural and necessary evolution of the Charter’s founding vision. While the original Charter invited individuals and institutions worldwide to affirm compassion as a moral commitment, Charter for Compassion 2.0 moves decisively toward lived, collective practice—embedding compassion in how communities learn, lead, heal, govern, and care for one another.
Launched in 2025, Charter for Compassion 2.0 reflects years of listening to communities across cultures, sectors, and generations. What we heard was consistent and clear: people are ready to move beyond affirmation toward transformation—to develop the skills, relationships, and structures that allow compassion to shape everyday decisions and long-term systems.
At its core, Charter for Compassion 2.0 emphasizes:
- Compassion as a practice, not only a principle
- Inner transformation and outer action as mutually reinforcing
- Community-led solutions, grounded in local wisdom and global solidarity
- Learning, reflection, and accountability as essential to sustainable change
This renewed framework recognizes that compassion flourishes when it is cultivated intentionally—through education, dialogue, cultural expression, and collaborative action—rather than treated as a one-time pledge or abstract ideal.
From Sectors to Pillars: A Holistic Framework for Impact
Photo by Camille ANDRIAMASIMANANA on Unsplash
Photo by Camille ANDRIAMASIMANANA on Unsplash
In alignment with Charter for Compassion 2.0, the organization undertook a significant structural shift in 2025: moving from a sector-based model to a seven-pillar framework.
The earlier sector model helped establish important entry points for compassion across fields such as education, healthcare, business, and religion. However, as the work matured, it became clear that communities were not experiencing challenges—or solutions—in isolation. Issues of justice, wellbeing, education, environment, culture, and spirituality are deeply interconnected.
The pillar framework reflects this reality. Rather than operating in silos, the pillars provide a holistic and integrated approach, encouraging collaboration across disciplines and honoring the full complexity of human and community life.
The seven pillars guiding the Charter’s work are:
- Education & Learning
- Health & Compassion
- Justice & Integrity
- Arts, Music & Gratitude
- Environmental Stewardship & Respect
- Play, Courage & Innovation
- Spirituality, Love & Hope
Each pillar represents both a domain of action and a set of values, reinforcing the understanding that compassion must be woven into multiple dimensions of life simultaneously. Together, they offer a shared language for communities, partners, and practitioners to align efforts while adapting to local contexts.
A Living Framework for a Changing World
Charter for Compassion 2.0 and the pillar model together form a living framework—one that is flexible, responsive, and grounded in relationship. They support communities in moving from inspiration to implementation, from isolated initiatives to sustained culture change.
This section of the Impact Report marks not only a structural shift, but a deeper commitment: to accompany communities as they practice compassion in real time, respond to real challenges, and co-create a more just, caring, and interconnected world.
In the pages that follow, this framework comes to life through stories, partnerships, and measurable outcomes from 2025—demonstrating what becomes possible when compassion is embraced as both a shared value and a shared responsibility.
AUSTRALIA
Seeds of Compassion: How Ballarat Turned Crisis into Collective Care
Compassionate Ballarat offers a powerful example of how a community can respond to crisis with courage, care, and collaboration. Established through the vision of Dr. Lynne Reeder and strengthened over time by a committed local leadership team, Compassionate Ballarat has worked for years to embed compassion across civic life—partnering with local government, businesses, community groups, researchers, and national compassion networks. A major milestone came in 2019, when the City of Ballarat formally signed the Charter for Compassion, anchoring compassion as a shared civic value.
That commitment was tested in early 2024, when Ballarat experienced a series of devastating events—fires, a mine collapse, and the tragic deaths of three women due to family violence. These moments shook the community deeply and prompted an urgent collective question: How do we respond together?
The answer became the Seeds of Compassion project. Working alongside City Council and local schools, Compassionate Ballarat invited students to share their hopes and wishes for the future. These messages were transformed into symbolic “seeds” and planted in gardens across the city—creating visible spaces for reflection, healing, and hope. The project centered young voices, honored grief without being defined by it, and reminded the community of its shared capacity for goodness.
This spirit of collective care continues to shape Ballarat’s work. Compassionate Ballarat supports practical, life-affirming initiatives such as youth awards that celebrate kindness and inclusion, mobile services like the Snoooze Bus providing overnight shelter, and the Need Help Ballarat guide, which brings essential services together in one accessible resource for those facing hardship. The community also stands alongside new civic efforts such as Respect Ballarat, reinforcing a shared commitment to ending gender-based violence through positive, collaborative action.
Compassionate Ballarat demonstrates what becomes possible when compassion is practiced not only as a value, but as a civic response. By linking grassroots action with local leadership, and hope with practical care, Ballarat shows how communities can transform crisis into collective resilience—and plant seeds of compassion that continue to grow.
INDIA
Maitri Community, Delhi — Young Women Leading with Compassion
Founded in Delhi by Maitri Community and led by Anjali G. Sharma, Compassionate India, Maitri was created to offer a safe, nurturing space where young girls from underrepresented backgrounds can find their voice, build confidence, and step into leadership. Rooted in compassion and collective growth, Maitri bridges aspiration and opportunity through a strong network of mentors, seniors, and alumni—so that one girl’s journey becomes a roadmap for another.
Maitri’s impact is deeply practical and personal. From scholarship support and academic guidance beginning in Grade 10 to sustained mentorship through college admissions, the community provides steady, individualized support. Beyond academics, girls are encouraged to explore art, storytelling, writing, and performance—honoring their identities while challenging stereotypes and expanding their sense of possibility.
In 2025, six Maitri participants—Taniya Negi, Nandini Yadav, Moumita Malik, Aditi Yadav, Saloni Bhati, and Anjali Kumari—took the global stage at the Charter for Compassion Global Youth Conference, leading a panel that invited reflection on mentorship, leadership, and shared learning. Their voices—representing small towns, government schools, and modest means—underscored a powerful truth: when communities invest in young women’s leadership, transformation follows.
Maitri stands as a living example of community-led compassion in action—showing how collaboration, mentorship, and belief in young voices can redefine leadership from the ground up and open pathways for countless girls to rise, speak, and lead.
Thanks to your generous support, more than 75 future facilitators have been trained in Cognitively-Based Compassion Training (CBCT) through a program offered by the Charter for Compassion in partnership with the Center for Contemplative Science and Compassion-Based Ethics at Emory University. These facilitators are preparing to bring evidence-based compassion training into schools, healthcare settings, communities, and organizations around the world.
THE WORLD'S CHARTER
A Global Movement That Calls for Compassionate Action
The Charter for Compassion is a global movement that calls individuals and communities to place compassion at the center of our lives and institutions.
Since its launch in 2009, millions of people from every part of the world have signed the Charter, affirming a shared commitment.
Through nearly 600 hundred Compassionate Community initiatives across more than 56 countries, the Charter connects local action with a global vision—empowering citizens, organizations, and cities to work together to build more just, caring, and resilient societies.
In 2025, the Charter strengthened this global network by convening five major international events: our inaugural two-day Compassionate Action Conference, the second Global Youth Conference bringing together young leaders from around the world, the launch of Charter for Compassion 2.0, and the annual Karen Armstrong Humanitarian Award Gala honoring four remarkable individuals whose lives embody compassion in action.
In partnership with Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons, a United Religions Initiative Circle, the Charter also produced a special global program commemorating the 80th anniversary of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki—bridging generations by sharing hibakusha survivor stories with youth and honoring the more than 140,000 lives lost.
THE NETHERLANDS
A Caring City Is a Peaceful City: The Netherlands’ Compassion Prize in Action
Charter for Compassion Netherlands showed how compassion could be made visible and celebrated as a civic value through the annual Compassion Prize, an award recognizing compassion in action across Dutch society.
First established in 2011 and inspired by the International Charter for Compassion, the Compassion Prize had long honored individuals and organizations whose work connected people, strengthened wellbeing, and fostered social care. Since 2021, the Dutch Charter for Compassion had been incorporated into Beweging van Barmhartigheid, Movement of Compassion, expanding the reach and collaborative strength of the award.
For co-founder, along with Monica Neomagus of Compassionate Netherlands, Gerthe Lamers said she felt deeply connected to the growing international network of compassion practitioners and believed that these “gentle forces” would ultimately endure—even in uncertain times. Each year, the award highlighted a different theme and offered encouragement through public recognition, a compassion lamp, and financial support.
In 2025, the fifteenth Compassion Prize was presented in Amsterdam as part of the city’s 750th anniversary, under the theme “A Caring City Is a Peaceful City.” In collaboration with the Community of Sant’Egidio, the ceremony and accompanying conference lifted up compassion as an essential response to polarization and social tension.
Rather than honoring a single recipient, fifteen individuals and organizations were recognized—representing schools, neighborhood initiatives, food justice efforts, faith communities, and grassroots leaders. Together, they reflected the many ways compassion was being lived and practiced across Amsterdam.
The Compassion Prize illustrated how cities can nurture peace not only through policy, but through recognition, storytelling, and shared commitment—affirming that caring cities are built through sustained collective action and hope.
PAKISTAN
Compassion in Action: Charter for Compassion Pakistan’s Educational Impact
Charter for Compassion Pakistan has long worked to weave compassion into everyday life across the country through education, community engagement, and social development programs grounded in core compassionate values such as self-compassion, mindfulness, courage, gratitude, forgiveness, integrity, humility, altruism, and empathy.
In 2025, one of their most meaningful achievements was the publication of a new children’s book developed in collaboration with the Institute for Education Development and published by Aga Khan University. The freely available book was created to help children connect with compassion and related virtues — including self-compassion, courage, gratitude, empathy, and resilience — and to frame these values within the specific social, environmental, and climate challenges faced by communities in Sindh. Through storytelling that reflects drought, environmental degradation, and collective care, the narrative encouraged young readers to see compassion as both an inner strength and a foundation for communal action.
Alongside this publication, Charter for Compassion Pakistan has continued expanding its education and youth programs. The People School Program (PSP) partners with the Sindh Education Foundation to manage English-medium schools in Badin and Umerkot, serving hundreds of students and emphasizing holistic development and compassionate learning environments. Charter for Compassion Pakistan The broader Compassionate Schools Network equips teachers with tools to integrate compassionate skills into classroom culture and curriculum, nurturing young people who can think and act with empathy, generosity, and integrity.
Beyond schools, the organization’s programs include Mumkin, a women’s empowerment and vocational training initiative; Ruhbaru, a mental health and wellbeing effort addressing stigma and support needs; and Bridges, which transforms under-bridge spaces into safe community areas, especially for girls.
Collectively, these initiatives reflect a deep commitment to building compassionate capacities in individuals and communities — from childhood through adulthood.
Charter for Compassion Pakistan’s work demonstrates how compassion can be both taught and lived, empowering young minds, strengthening social bonds, and supporting collective resilience in the face of environmental and social challenges.
Zimbabwe
Chipochashe: Compassion in Action Across Education, Health, and Community
This year, Chipochashe demonstrated what is possible when education, compassion, and community partnership come together in rural Zimbabwe. Despite persistent challenges—water scarcity, food insecurity, limited infrastructure, and constrained opportunities—Chipochashe continues to build pathways of dignity, resilience, and hope for children, families, and elders.
Across two campuses in Zhanje and Ditima Village, 510 learners received quality, learner-centered education, achieving an exceptional 84.6% Grade 7 pass rate, far exceeding the national average. Enrollment continues to grow as fees remain accessible, internet connectivity expands learning opportunities, and secondary education advances through the school’s first Ordinary Level pilot class.
Major infrastructure milestones strengthened long-term sustainability, including the completion of the Ubuntu Block for 320 learners, a volunteer hub, administrative facilities, and solar upgrades now meeting 65% of the school’s energy needs. Land has also been secured for a future clinic. During the dry season, Chipochashe provided clean water to 207 families across four villages, benefiting approximately 1,300 people and reducing health risks and daily burdens—especially for women, children, and elders.
Recognizing that learning begins with nourishment, 105 young children received daily nutritious meals, while 213 elderly community members were supported through food hampers. Monthly assistance was also provided to families at a disability home, addressing exclusion faced by people living with disabilities. These efforts directly respond to Zimbabwe’s high rates of child malnutrition, where one in four children is affected by stunting, as reported by UNICEF.
Educational access was further strengthened through scholarships supporting 60 orphaned and vulnerable learners, two high-achieving students, and two university scholars—including Chipochashe’s first international scholar studying at Ashesi University. Scholarship recipients commit to paying their success forward, extending impact beyond individual achievement.
In August, Chipochashe hosted its first Youth Empowerment Camp, reaching 112 young people with mentorship, career exposure, and resilience-building support to counter substance abuse and limited opportunity. Through intergenerational dialogue and positive role modeling, youth were empowered to envision and pursue healthy, purposeful futures.
Together, these outcomes reflect a holistic model of compassion in action—where education, health, sustainability, and youth leadership work together to strengthen not only individual lives, but entire communities.
United States
Compassionate Atlanta: The Compassionate Cities of Georgia Initiative (CCoGA)
CCoGA is a growing effort focused on strengthening rural communities across Georgia by expanding social support, community connection, and access to essential health resources. Each year, the initiative engages and serves between 1,000 and 1,200 individuals, working alongside grassroots partners who are deeply rooted in their communities and experienced in building networks of trust, collaboration, and mutual care.
CCoGA builds on longstanding relationships with local organizations whose missions center on addressing the needs of historically marginalized communities. In many of these rural areas, the legacy of racial inequity continues to shape health outcomes and access to care. These realities are reflected in sobering statistics: Georgia ranked third in the nation for HIV risk in 2020, and Black/African American individuals represent 42.1% of all people living with HIV/AIDS nationwide, the highest proportion among any demographic group.
Responding to these challenges requires more than clinical services alone. In rural communities especially, improving health outcomes depends on increasing awareness, strengthening local networks, and ensuring that people have access to testing, diagnosis, and treatment. Through CCoGA, partners work together to foster environments where individuals feel supported, informed, and connected to the care they need.
By cultivating long-term, meaningful relationships both locally and statewide, the initiative helps community organizations expand their impact and strengthen health outcomes in their regions. Through these collaborations, the Compassionate Cities of Georgia Initiative contributes to advancing equitable health outcomes for people living with HIV/AIDS and for individuals who may benefit from preventive measures such as PrEP, helping rural communities build healthier and more compassionate futures.
Compassionate St. Augustine: Community-Driven Compassion Translates into Meaningful Action
Through a range of grassroots initiatives, local volunteers and partners are addressing urgent needs while building connections that foster resilience, inclusion, and civic engagement throughout the community.
One of the most visible efforts is the Gift Gardens initiative, a community-based response to food insecurity in St. Augustine and surrounding areas. With four gardens located at the Webster School in West Augustine, the Lincolnville Community Garden, Ketterlinus Elementary School, and Mindful Solutions, volunteers grow fresh produce that is freely shared with those who need it most. Every harvest becomes an act of generosity—food cultivated by the community and gifted back to the community. Through a partnership with EPIC-CURE, the produce grown in these gardens reaches families and individuals who benefit from greater access to healthy, nutritious food.
Another important initiative is Compassionate Women, which brings together women from diverse backgrounds, cultures, and ethnicities to build relationships rooted in empathy and mutual support. Each month, participants gather to share a meal, celebrate their diversity, and create a welcoming space where dialogue, education, and collaborative initiatives can flourish. Through these gatherings, Compassionate Women nurtures a multicultural community grounded in compassion, civility, and tolerance while extending practical assistance to those in need.
Civic engagement is also strengthened through the initiative known as Good Trouble, a group dedicated to building coalitions with local leaders, organizations, and elected officials to address pressing community issues. Through respectful advocacy—speaking at commissioner meetings, organizing outreach efforts, and mobilizing community voices—participants work together to encourage constructive change. As the group describes it, “good trouble” is passion guided by purpose and rooted in a commitment to justice and the common good.
The Purple Bench initiative further reflects Compassionate St. Augustine’s commitment to fostering empathy and understanding across differences. The Purple Bench serves as a symbol and invitation for members of the community—residents, businesses, and organizations alike—to practice compassion in everyday life. In a time when communities are often divided by political, cultural, or religious differences, the initiative encourages people to pause, engage with one another respectfully, and seek common ground. Through this simple but powerful symbol, the Purple Bench challenges the community to demonstrate compassion despite differences in background, beliefs, or perspectives.
Together, these initiatives reflect the spirit of Compassionate St. Augustine: neighbors working side by side to address food insecurity, foster belonging across cultures, strengthen civic life, and encourage compassion in everyday interactions. Through gardens, gatherings, advocacy, and symbolic acts of unity, the community continues to demonstrate that compassion—when put into action—can transform both lives and neighborhoods.
2025 Highlights: A Year of Expanding Compassion in Action
In 2025, the Charter for Compassion continued to create spaces where people could learn together, reflect deeply, and explore how compassion can be lived in a world longing for healing, courage, and connection. Through our Global Reads, EdNet Forums, and special educational offerings, we invited our community into conversations that were intellectually rich, morally grounded, and deeply relevant to the times in which we live.
Our Global Reads offered a remarkable range of voices and themes across the year. We began in January with Witness by Ariel Burger, followed in February by Being Nobel by Livia Malcangio and God and Nuclear Weapons by the Right Reverend William E. Swing. In March we featured One by Devon Clunis. April brought two offerings, Changemakers by Marc Dullaert and Becoming Wise by Krista Tippett. In May we explored Sage Warrior by Valarie Kaur, and in June Why Didn’t You Come Sooner? by Kailash Satyarthi. Summer and fall continued with Gay Poems for Red States by Willie Edward Taylor Carver Jr. in July, Banning Landmines edited by Jody Williams in August, Home Inside the Globe by Gail Straub and World of Wonder by Valarie Kaur in September, Everything is a Story by Kaitlin Curtice in October, Discovering the Spiritual Wisdom of Trees by Beth Norcross and Leah Rampy in November, and Water — Rumi, translated by Haleh Liza Gafori in December. Together, these readings invited participants into themes of peace, wisdom, identity, moral imagination, ecological reverence, and the transformative power of story.
The Charter’s EdNet Forums also offered important opportunities for learning and exchange in 2025. The year’s archived forums included My Hero Project in January, Teaching While Queer in February, Peace Leadership Model in March, Prison Narratives in May, Wi’am: The Palestinian Conflict Transformation Center in July, and NewWorld Game in September. These forums reflected the Charter’s commitment to educational engagement that is both practical and courageous—bringing forward topics of identity, peacebuilding, restorative reflection, conflict transformation, and innovative approaches to social learning.
Another meaningful gift in 2025 came through the generosity of the Eckhart Tolle Foundation, which offered its premium online course, Embodied Presence, to the Charter community. That gift expanded the depth of our educational offerings and gave participants access to a contemplative resource that supports inner grounding, awareness, and presence—qualities essential to compassionate action in the world. This offering complemented the Charter’s larger vision: that outer transformation is sustained when it is rooted in inner awareness and reflective practice.
Youth Leadership and Global Community
Global Youth Conference (2nd Annual)
Building on the success of our inaugural gathering, the 2025 Global Youth Conference brought together young leaders from around the world to engage in dialogue, share ideas, and take action on issues that matter to their communities. Youth continue to be at the heart of the Charter’s vision for the future.
From Vision to Action
First Annual Compassion Action Conference
In 2025, we launched our first Compassion Action Conference, creating a space dedicated to practical application—where individuals and communities shared real-world examples of compassion in action. The conference emphasized collaboration, innovation, and the lived experience of building compassionate communities.
Peacebuilding and Global Solidarity
Partnership with Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons
In collaboration with Voices (a United Religions Initiative Cooperation Circle), we strengthened global awareness and engagement around nuclear disarmament and peacebuilding.
Commemoration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
We hosted a deeply moving program honoring the anniversaries of the atomic bombings, bringing together voices, stories, and reflections that remind us of both the devastation of war and the enduring call to build a world free of nuclear weapons.
Mikhail Gorbachev & George Shultz Youth Award (Co-Sponsorship)
We were honored to co-sponsor this prestigious youth award, recognizing emerging global leaders committed to peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons. This partnership reflects our commitment to uplifting youth voices in shaping a more compassionate future.
New Platforms for Global Engagement
Launch of Substack (November 2025)
In November, we launched our Substack platform, creating a new space for thoughtful reflection, timely essays, and ongoing series such as our work on democracy, compassion, and civic responsibility. This platform is helping us reach new audiences and deepen engagement with our global community.
With Compassion Podcast (November 2025)
Also launched in November, the With Compassion podcast features conversations with global leaders, thinkers, and practitioners who are bringing compassion into public life. The podcast extends the Charter’s voice into new spaces, amplifying stories of hope, courage, and transformation.
Looking Ahead
These initiatives represent more than individual programs—they are part of a growing, interconnected movement. From education to peacebuilding, from youth leadership to global dialogue, the Charter for Compassion continues to build pathways where compassion becomes a guiding force in our personal lives, our communities, and our world.
At the Charter for Compassion, we recognise that none of our groundbreaking work would be possible without the support of our donors.
Every donation you give helps the Charter push the boundaries of compassionate action. In this Impact Report you have seen just a glimpse of nearly 600 compassionate initiates in 56 countries being supported by close to 3000 network partners.
We hope this report has given you an insight into the work of the Charter for Compassion. We look forward to continuing this journey together as we tackle the most critical issues of our time. For more information email us at contact@charterforcompassion.org .
The 2025 Board of Trustees
Laura Burgis (USA), Chair
Babalwa Ngcongolo (South Africa), Vice Chair
Gard Jameson (USA), Secretary/Treasurer
Anum Mulla (India), Global Youth Strategist
Starita Ansari (USA), Riemer Brandsma (Netherlands), Amin Hashwani (Pakistan), Ann Helmke (USA), Erin Henry (Canada), Moses Machipisa (Zimbabwe), Yosuke Nagai (Japan), Carlos Ordoñez (Mexico/Canada), Skylar Pittman (USA), Jamal Rahman (Bangladesh/USA), Will Rucker (USA), Gary Senft (Canada), Arun Wakhlu (India) and César Zamora (Mexico). Ex-officio members : Karen Armstrong (UK) , founder and Yaffa Maritz (Israel/USA)
Charter for Compassion Staff
Lynn de Vree (Netherlands/USA), Lucy Gray (USA), Merida McCarthy (Mexico), Anum Mulla (India), Marilyn Turkovich (USA), Felipe Zurita (Chile/USA) and Natalia Zurita (Chile)
We Are Grateful
The Charter for Compassion continues to grow and flourish around the world thanks to the extraordinary dedication of those leading compassionate community initiatives, alongside the thousands of supporters who offer their time, energy, and care at local, regional, and global levels.
We are especially grateful to the individuals whose generous contributions sustain and strengthen this work, helping us move forward with purpose and hope.
At the close of 2025, we invited our community of donors to let us know if they wished to be publicly recognized. In keeping with that request, we are honored to share the names of those who graciously gave their permission. We do so with deep appreciation, while also acknowledging the many others who chose to remain anonymous or did not respond—each one equally valued and essential to this shared journey.
To all who support the Charter for Compassion, in ways seen and unseen, we offer our heartfelt thanks for keeping compassion alive and at the center of our world.
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Australia |
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Terry Ayling |
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Gawaine Powell Davies |
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Janine Freeman |
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Andrew Gaines |
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Helene Orr |
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Rachel Wass, Meaningful Aging Australia |
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Canada |
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Marj André |
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Mary Bawden |
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Linda Chan |
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Elaine Decker |
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Michael Garner |
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Shelley Hannah |
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Erin Henry |
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Sara Jamil |
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Kathleen Kirby |
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Wendy Marion-Orienti |
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Thomas Mengel |
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John Miller |
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Barbara Paleczny |
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Dr. Dawn Courage Popatia |
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Denise Quesnel |
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Lynn K. Russell |
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Ben Salvatore |
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Gary Senft |
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Yolaine St-Jacques |
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Audrey Van Belois |
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Anonymous Canada 5 |
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France |
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Anonymous 1 |
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Germany |
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Ali Telli |
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Marc Schaefer |
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India |
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Anum Mulla |
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Arun Wakhlu |
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Ireland |
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Anne McKeon |
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Mexico |
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Carlos Ordoñez, |
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Portugal |
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Sue Hall |
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Spain |
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Maider Grajales |
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The Netherlands |
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Arie Baan |
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Morgana Sythove |
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New Zealand |
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Jill Robertson |
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Dr. Paul Butler |
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Singapore |
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Hui Wen Lim |
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South Africa |
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Françoise Gale |
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United Kingdom |
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Jan Cresswell |
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Ann Gimpel |
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Jill Hazell |
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Julia Keeling |
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Lydia Kostopoulos |
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Robin Macpherson |
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Kate Mackrell |
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Gabrielle Mooney |
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Kathi J. Presley |
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Michael Barrett Rogers |
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Caroline Sherwood |
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Rev. Sue Woolley |
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USA |
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Paul Andrews |
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Catherine Ashton, Compassionate Rochester, MN |
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Conoly Barker |
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Stephanie Barnett |
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Marsha Barr |
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Jenna Barron |
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Agnes Barstow |
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Ron Bemis |
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Keri Bentsen |
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Jennifer Bernstein |
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Kristin Bodiford |
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Mary Ann Boe |
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David Brown |
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Laura Burgis |
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Ann Bustamante |
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Helen Butler |
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Brian Byrnes |
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Faye H. Campbell |
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Blair Carleton |
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Kim Carter |
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Eric Castillo |
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Cheryl Chase |
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William Clay |
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Craig and Cherie Cline |
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Compassionate Atlanta |
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Lina Cuartas |
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Rod Danica |
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Trish Dang-Mai |
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Steven Decker |
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Miriam Dobrofsky-Pickens |
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Barbara Drayer |
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Janice Ereth |
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Mariza Fernandez |
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Honorable Greg Fischer |
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Migdelia Garcia |
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Constance Garrett |
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Oliver Giles |
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John T. Gilligan |
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Karen Gold |
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Lizabeth Lacey Gotz |
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Lucy Gray |
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Jacquelline Griswold |
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Barry Heath |
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Fred Henry |
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Janeece Hines |
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Rizza Bella Hohenstern |
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Barbara Homann |
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Gard Jameson |
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Alice Jermyn |
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Margaret Johnston |
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Mary Kelleher |
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Sr. Martha Ann Kirk |
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Christine Kunert |
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Carl A Lang |
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Davis Leichsenring |
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Pam Lewis, Compassionate Houston, TX |
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Heather Lilly |
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Trude and Mike Lisagor |
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Jennifer Matjasko |
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Henry McHenry Jr, Meetings of Opposites |
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Susan LePlae Miller |
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Sarah Lee Morris |
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Linda Morrow |
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James Mullen |
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Marlin Murdock |
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Nancy Murphy |
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Christine Nadeau |
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Alison Oresman |
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Shelly O’Rourke |
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Scott Parry |
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Dr. George Pate |
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Stan Paine |
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Bill Petrarch, Compassionate Fort Meyers, FL |
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Rabia Povich |
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Cherri Jacobs Pruitt |
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Jon Ramer |
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Joyce Ramey |
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Robert Rogers |
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Kamala Rose |
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Debra Scholten |
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Cynthia Sears |
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Stephen Silha |
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Trisha Jean Smith |
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Rev. Margaret Somerville |
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Yolanda Stith |
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Raymond Stubblefield |
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Molly Teas |
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Jeanette Truchsess |
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Marilyn Turkovich |
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Pauline van Betten |
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Katherine van Uum |
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Yoyo Watanabe |
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Chuck Watts |
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Pamela Wedding |
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Monica Willard |
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Tara Lynn Willis |
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Chuck Woolery |
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Scott Youmans |
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JoAnn Zanotti |
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Anonymous USA 6 |
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