CASA since its inception in 1947 has been working for eradication of poverty and injustice. In this quest, it has always sided with the poor and the marginalized. Initiated as a relief organization, today CASA is involved in disaster response, management and people centered empowerment oriented interventions throughout the country. The work of CASA has had significant impact on issues of its concerns—addressing structural poverty being the key area. In its determination to always be on the side of the poor and the marginalized, CASA has sought to be relevant through adopting a process of organizational and context assessments on a periodic basis. This periodic assessment has enabled CASA to be contextual, relevant and led to integration of the needs and aspirations of its reference community in its organizational and programme functions. This is reflected in its shift from a need based approach IN THE 1980s to issue based movement oriented one in the 1990s and subsequently now to Rights Based Approach (RBA) from the dawn of the new millennium. The Participatory Strategic Planning (PSP) and other process have resulted in identification of key thrust areas and articulation of the perspective plan for the current decade. This perspective plan of CASA articulated for the period 2003-2013 establishes RBA as the key instrument for addressing poverty, inequality & injustice and the need for its integration in the work of empowering the poor.

The Core Programme of CASA (direct intervention) initiated in the early 1980s initially focused on building and strengthening Community Based Organizations (CBOs) of the marginalized sections. These organizations are the pivot for addressing issues affecting the life of the reference communities through a process oriented approach and are owned and managed by the community itself.

The thrust in the 90’s was on linking efforts at the micro level with macro actions for sustainable change. The role of CASA also significantly changed to that of a facilitator. Networking, advocacy and collective action towards strengthening people’s movements became the major strategies for development action.

The 33 core programme areas have created platforms which play an important role in facilitating peoples’ movement by promoting dialogues, discussions, collective action and required support in terms of knowledge, awareness and skills. The resource centers at different locations (in Core Programme areas) are a strategic intervention in the people centered, owned and process oriented approach to empowerment pursued by CASA and known as the PAT Centres (People’s Action for Transformation).

The Cross Cutting Thematic Areas of CASA’s programmatic interventions are :
1. Humanitarian Aid
2. Development Initiatives to address Structural Poverty
3. Gender Mainstreaming
4. Climate Change
5. Local Capacities for Peace and 'Do No Harm'

Key issues related to Climate Change & Global worming are integral part of CASA’s interventions.